Mighty Ducks Season 3: Trial by Fire
by duchessofbooks
Summary: The adventure continues with the Ducks and my OC's looking and capturing more spells. However, a new enemy arrives and becomes determined to have Pearl all to himself. Wildwing/OC romance
1. Episode 1

Mighty Ducks Season 3: Trial by Fire

Esp. 1: New Mission, New Enemy

_Princess Prywden, aka Pearl, knew she was having a dream; she looked around the foggy landscape and there was no one in sight._

_"Princess…" a man's voice whispered and she jumped._

_Just then, the ground gave way underneath her feet and she fell through and landed somewhere dark and eerie._

_"Pearl?" Wildwing asked and she saw him come into view._

_Suddenly, a figure came up from behind him and sucker-punched him in the back of the head and the mallard collapsed._

_"WILDWING!" Pearl screamed, but the figure placed its hands around her mouth and looked into her eyes._

_"You are beautiful, Princess Prywden, and soon, you'll be mine," the mysterious man said to her._

Pearl awoke from the dream and began to pant. The dream was over, but it terrified the princess of Avalon.

It had been about two weeks since the fight against Louran, Avalon's most hated enemy and since then, the Ducks and the two princesses were able to capture more of the spell pages.

She moved in with the Ducks at their headquarters and shared a bed with Wildwing, her boyfriend and perhaps, one day he will be her fiancé.

Subria had moved in, too and slept with Duke, leaving Phil alone in his big mansion outside of town.

Pearl stared up at the ceiling and began to think; who was in the dream? And why did he attack Wildwing?

_'I have a terrible feeling that something bad is going to happen,'_ she thought and then went back to sleep.

()()()()()()()

Anaheim was lit up by the crescent moon and atop a high building; a figure looked down upon the mass jungle of glass and concrete.

"When I find that princess, I want to see if the rumors are true, and if they are, I will take her for myself," the figure said and stepped into the moon light. The man had jet black hair, tied in a pony tail, his skin was white as the moon, and he wore black and blue robes.

His name was Howel, his was the young brother of Louran, but he was equally feared as his brother.

"Sir, why did we come all this way just to search for a girl?" a hunched-back man asked.

"Not just any girl, Morholt, a princess who happens to have the Book of Avalon, and I will take it and spread fear across this world," Howel had explained to his henchmen.

Morholt, Teithi, and Ozanna listened to their master's plan and they grimly smiled.

"And maybe, I'll outsmart my brother and be the one everyone will come to fear," Howel replied and stared down at the city below him.

()()()()()()()

Labor Day Weekend had arrived and the people of Anaheim were enjoying the last few days of freedom before going back to school.

The Ducks and the two princesses decided to take the day off from practice and head to the beach.

"Nosedive, you should apply for North Orange Community College, it be good to have an associates' degree," Wildwing said to his brother.

"What should I study in? Besides school is for geeks," the young mallard replied.

"Hey, I respect geeks, they're the reason why Earth is full of gen...ge...smart people," Tanya stammered.

"You know Dive, you could be eligible for a hockey scholarship or maybe English; your stories could get published and you'd be famous," Pearl explained to him.

Nosedive lifted his head away from his journal and stared at Pearl.

"Is there still time to apply?" he asked.

"No, but you can apply for spring," she answered and rubbed her eyelids.

"Pearl, what's the matter? You look so tired," Wildwing said, in a concerned tone.

"I had that dream, again," she replied and everyone stared at her.

"I'm starting to get worried, maybe we should figure out what it means," Subria said to her mistress.

"I know what it means; there is a new enemy coming, and I think he wants me," Pearl explained.

Just then, her senses went crazy and she cupped her hands around her ears.

"Pearl!" Wildwing exclaimed and came to her side.

"There's a spell here and there's something else," the princess replied and looked around.

Suddenly, a wave of sand rushed passed them, toppling people and their beach items all over the place.

"What was that?!" Duke exclaimed. Then, the sand opened up and items and people began to sink in.

"Quick! We need to help them!" Canard shouted and they changed into their battle outfits. The Ducks pulled the humans out of the sinking sand, but the void began to grow bigger.

"Ducks, it's the 'Sand'!" Pearl said to her friends.

"We kind of figured it out ourselves," Nosedive replied, taking a six-year-old girl up to his back.

"Take them to the water; it will slow down the spell!" Pearl ordered and the Ducks obeyed. The humans rushed into the water and they saw that the 'Sand' wouldn't reach them.

"Guys, I have an idea!" Tanya exclaimed and turns to Pearl. "You can use the 'Rain' to soak the 'Sand'," the smart Duck said to her.

"Tanya, you're a genius!" Canard commented.

Pearl handed over the spell book to Tanya and she turned to the 'Rain' page.

Suddenly, before Tanya could say anything, an arrow pierced the sand underneath her, and more arrows began to rain down.

"What the heck is this?!" Duke cried out, using his saber to cut away the falling arrows.

"Hey duckies!" a voice called out and three, dwarf-like humans appeared. They were hideous with unkempt hair, yellow teeth, and muscle-man type arms.

"Want to play?" asked one of them, shooting arrows at them.

"Who are you?!" Pearl demanded and they stopped.

"I'm Morholt and these are my brothers, Ozanna and Teithi," said the eldest.

"Ha, your ugly names suit you!" Nosedive teased with a laugh.

"What did you say?!" Ozanna shouted and pulled out an arrow.

"Enough!" a voice demanded and the brothers obeyed.

Then, a human floated down in front of the Ducks and stared at them and the two princesses. He then stopped and met eye to eye with Pearl, "The rumors were true, your beauty exceeds beyond anyone in the Avalon court," he said.

"Who the heck are you?!" Wildwing demanded, placing himself in front of Pearl.

"I'm Howel, the brother of Louran, and your new nightmare," the new enemy said to them and pointed to Pearl, "I've been searching for you and I will take you for myself."

"Sorry, I have a boyfriend, and he said he will propose to me one day," Pearl replied, showing him her promise ring, and Howel gave a look.

"I see; then maybe I will take him out first!" Howel shouted and fired dark energy at the mallard. Wildwing dodged the attack, but Howel still kept on firing at him.

"Stop it!" Pearl yelled out and Howel did stop.

"I won't kill your beloved, but some day I will," he said to her and looks down at the 'Sand' spell. "However, I will be more than willing to help you capture this nuisance," he replied and summoned of what appeared to be a sphere of black-colored water.

Howel dropped it into the sinking sand and at that moment, the spell stopped moving and its body showed itself. It had the features of a woman, wearing Arabian clothes and its skin was color of sand.

"What did you do to her?!" Pearl demanded and placed her body over the spell.

"Not even a thank you? No matter, our business here is done. Farewell Ducks and farewell my lady," Howel said, bowing to her and he and his goons vanished.

"I would've given him a piece of my mind!" Mallory shouted, angrily.

Pearl checked on the 'Sand'; the spell was out cold and opened up the book. "'Sand', I command you to return to the spell book from where you came," she calmly ordered and the spell obeyed.

"Now we know who we are dealing with, we need to be more careful around this Howel; he may be Louran's brother, but he might be worse than him," Wildwing said to his comrades.

"But I wasn't told Louran had a brother," Pearl replied with a confused look.

Subria came forward, "Milady, I think it's time that I tell you, but we have to do it in private," she said to her mistress. The Ducks and the two princesses left the beach and headed back to the Pond.

()()()()()()()()

Once the group returned to the headquarters, Subria began to tell her secret.

"Before you were born, there was a conflict between your father and Howel. You see, Howel was obsessed with your mother, but only because she was beautiful and he wanted to have her to himself.

"However, Gwenever did not love Howel and refused his hand. That made him angry and he took control of his brother's forces, in order to win her affection. Then, the book came to her aid and she was able to banish him far into the future, but I never thought he would end up here."

Pearl stared at her friend and she gave a look of confusion and despair. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" she asked.

"We wanted to protect you, if Howel did show up, again, he would take you for his own, and as you heard him, he is now infatuated with you," Subria explained.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, are you saying Howel is lovesick over Pearl? She doesn't even know him or the fact he existed," Wildwing asked and the African princess nodded.

"He does not care; it is my belief that when he kidnaps her, he will wait for her to fall for him," she replied.

"You mean, like Stockholm Syndrome? Man, this is messed up," Canard said.

"Well, after what happened today, I refuse to fall for his handsome looks, he is a tyrant and forever will be," Pearl replied and left the room.

"Pearl, wait a minute," Wildwing said, stopping her out in the arena.

"I'm glad that you find this Howel a complete stranger and a dimwit, but as Subria said, he will not stop at nothing in gaining your affection for him," Wildwing explained.

"Please, I would rather spend an eternity with you than with that creep," Pearl replied and the mallard's eyes widened.

"You would?" he asked and she hugged him.

"You are my knight in shining armor and we are a couple and I wish to stay that way, unless something slips between us," the princess answered.

"Well, that's a relief," he said and the two shared a kiss.

()()()()()()()

Outside of Anaheim, in a cottage at the edge of the forest, Howel mentally looked at an image of Pearl.

"I always get everything I want and very soon, I'll have you, my sweet princess," he said to himself and everything fades to black.


	2. Episode 2

Episode 2: Fight or Flight

Morning came upon Anaheim and everyone crowded the streets as they headed to work or school.

"Subria, hurry up!" Pearl called out to her comrade. It was first day of community college for the two princesses and they were eager to start it off right.

"Have a good day," Wildwing moaned as he finally got up from his bed.

"Do you have practice this morning?" Pearl asked her boyfriend and he jumped up.

"Ah! You're right!" he exclaimed and hurried up to the locker room.

The two girls went off to the bus station and they joined in with other students. Wildwing immediately grew worried about Pearl and the possibility of her being kidnapped by Howel.

"Wing, c'mon concentrate!" Canard ordered and the leader snapped out of the daze.

()()()()()()()

Pearl and Subria fell in love with the landscape that the community college was set in. The campus was set on a hill, overlooking the horizon, and trees gently swayed in a breeze.

Then, they noticed that some of other students were staring at them. "Are you Pearl Jadynak?" one girl asked the princess and she nodded. The student was buffed with muscle, much like Subria, and she had coal-black eyes.

"You are so lucky to have Wildwing as a boyfriend," the girl replied, a hint of jealousy in her voice.

Subria stepped in front, "If you cause any trouble to my friend, you're going to regret it," she demanded.

"Do you want a fight?" the girl asked and threw hew book-bag down.

"Subria don't, you'll get expelled and on the first day," Pearl warned.

A crowd gathered around and the girl held up her fists, demanding a fight with Subria. "Listen, I don't want to fight, if you want to, that's your problem, but I'm not risking my status as a student," the African princess said.

"Tough luck!" the girl shouted and threw the first punch, but she missed.

The girl gave wild kicks and punches, but Subria dodged them, and was able to grab one arm and hold it behind the girl's back.

"Calm down!" Subria ordered, holding the girl down to the ground.

"What is going on?!" a teacher demanded and saw the two.

"Sir, this girl threatened my friend and she wanted to fight her, I had to hold her down," Subria explained.

"Is this true?" the teacher asked the crowd and some of them nodded.

"All right, I'll take her to the counselor's office, but you two need to make a statement," he said, taking the girl by the arm.

Just then, Pearl's senses went crazy and, it was as if her vision cleared up, she saw a figure in a transparent state, hovering over the girl.

"Wait a minute!" she called out, running to the girl, but the figure vanished.

The girl that Subria held down began to shake her head and noticed the teacher holding her arm. "What's going on? Where are you taking me?" she asked.

"Playing dumb are you?" the teacher said and pulled her towards the administration building.

During the procedure, the girl, Maggie Geelen explained that she felt like something was controlling her and couldn't fight it. The counselor didn't believe her and she was suspended from the school for a day.

"This is very strange; she's the fifth person today to pick a fight," the counselor said.

Awhile later, Pearl used her cell phone to call the Ducks about the strange figure.

"Tanya, I need you to do me a favor; can you scan the school and its surroundings? I think there might be a spell page around here," the princess asked.

"Already on it," the smart Duck replied and Drake 1 did a full scan. "You're right Pearl, there is a spell lingering around," she answered.

"We can't capture it with these people around, we have to come back later tonight, when the school has less students," Subria informed them.

"Okay, we'll stay here and wait for the Ducks to come after dark," Pearl replied and hung up.

()()()()()()()

The day went by slowly and darkness swallowed the sky and the students went on home. Pearl and Subria, however, stayed in the college's culture center and waited for everyone to leave.

When there was no one in sight, Pearl called the Ducks and they hurried to the sight. Wildwing was relived to see Pearl and kissed her cheek.

"You missed me that much?" she asked and he nodded.

"I think he has separation anxiety disorder," Nosedive teased, but his brother gave a glare.

Just then, Pearl's senses went crazy and she looked around.

"Well, well, well," a gruff voice called out and the dwarf brothers appeared.

"Ah, c'mon, not you guys, again," Mallory groaned.

"Morholt, Ozanna, Teithi; away with you," Howel ordered and stared at Pearl.

Wildwing stood in front of her as Howel looked deep into Pearl's glittering brown eyes.

Then, the handsome enemy began to sing,

_***"Wildwing, Wildwing,**_

_**Fly away home.**_

_**Your house is on fire,**_

_**And your friends are all gone.**_

_**All except one,**_

_**Dear sweet Prywden,**_

_**And she hid under Howel's arms."**_

"Uh, what did he just do?" Nosedive asked.

"It's a nursery rhyme, only he tweaked it a little," Morholt explained.

"And it's a riddle, I advise you to figure it out before something terrible happens," Howel grinned and looked over Wildwing's shoulder. "I believe that is what you're looking for," he replied, pointing behind them.

They turned to see a girl, dressed in blue and white clothes, and had a light-blue hue surround her.

"The 'Fight', that explains why there have been many people are being suspended; she takes control of their bodies and forces them to fight," Pearl explained.

The 'Fight' then went into a stance pose and Grin stepped forward, "Young one, violence is pointless," the giant Duck said, but the spell gave a smirk.

Suddenly, she gave a hard kick at Grin's stomach and keeled over in pain. "Pain is an illusion…an illusion that really hurts," he commented, gripping his belly.

"Hey!" Nosedive shouted at the spell, "You can't do that to my pal!"

The 'Fight' held up her hands in a battle pose and Nosedive was wise enough to not intervene.

"Let me handle this," Mallory replied and stepped forward. "We'll have a one on one, no cheating," she ordered the spell and she nodded.

"Mal, I hope you know what you're doing," Canard said, but the soldier and the spell began their fight.

"This should be entertaining," Ozanna said to his brothers.

The 'Fight' lunged at Mallory with her foot, but she missed, and Mallory returned with her own kick. The spell's fists made contact with the Duck's chest and face. "Oh, it's on," Mallory said, angrily and charged at the spell.

Fists and feet flashed here and there, making a blur of body parts, and the others had difficulty finding Mallory's feet and fists. Just then, the 'Fight' punched the Duck in her stomach and Mallory fell on her bottom.

"Mallory, get away!" Pearl shouted.

The 'Fight' then lifted her foot over the defenseless Duck, but Mallory grabbed it and flipped the spell on to the ground. However, the spell got up and was ready to deliver the killer blow.

"I can't look!" Tanya exclaimed in a panic, covering her eyes.

Just then, Mallory lifted her foot and made contact with something. The 'Fight' gave a look of pain and defeat and she collapsed to the ground.

"Unbelievable!" Subria exclaimed.

Pearl stepped forward and summoned the spell book, "'Fight', I command you to return to the spell book from where you came!" she shouted and the spell obeyed.

"Bravo, bravo," Howel commented to the Ducks, "I must've underestimated about the lot of you."

"Should we take care of them?" Morholt asked his master.

"Not tonight; but I have something to tell them," Howel replied and sang the rhyme, again.

**_"Wildwing, Wildwing,_**

**_Fly away home._**

**_Your house is on fire,_**

**_And your friends are all gone._**

**_All except one,_**

**_Dear sweet Prywden,_**

**_And she hid under Howel's arms."_**

"Enough already!" Nosedive shouted, but Howel stared down at them.

"If you don't solve this rhyme within the fore-night, something terrible is going to happen," Howel said his warning and looked at Pearl, "Good night, my sweet."

Then, the four enemies vanished, leaving the group in a state of confusion.

()()()()()()()

Back at the Pond, the Ducks and the two princesses were stumped about the rhyme.

"I have never heard a rhyme like that," Nosedive said.

"Those goons did say Howel did tweak it and it's a cleaver one," Tanya replied.

"Do you think we should leave?" Mallory asked, but everyone stared at her.

"I'm saying that he might be referring to this place, when he said "Your house is on fire,". He must be referring to this place, Wildwing's house," Mallory explained.

"Ducks, listen, we're not going anywhere," Pearl replied, "I'm not going to let any of you run away from an enemy."

"I second that," Wildwing said, coming to her side, "If he does set fire to this place, which I highly doubt he can, we'll strike back."

The Ducks then went their ways, while Wildwing and Pearl went to their room.

"Wildwing, I'm worried; what if Howel will take me when he does strike here?" Pearl said to him.

"I'm not going to let that happen," he answered, taking her into his arms, "Listen, let's forget about that, how was your first day of school?"

"Apart from the encounter with the 'Fight', I had a good day, but I have some reading to do," the princess replied and pulled out a novel from her book bag.

"Well, I'm going to bed, let me know if you need something," the mallard said, getting into his PJ's.

Once Pearl heard his soft breathing, she took out her laptop and looked on the internet for the rhyme. Finally, she came across one that fitted Howel's lyrics, only it went,

**_*Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home._**

**_Your house is on fire and your children are gone,_**

**_All except one,_**

**_And her name is Ann,_**

**_And she hid under the baking pan._**

"I should ask one of my teachers about the meaning of this rhyme," Pearl whispered to herself and decided to go to bed.

* * *

**From the author: This is the 'Ladybird' rhyme, I changed it to fit in the story, but the one at the bottom is the original rhyme. **


	3. Episode 3

Episode 3: Little Misfit

The weekend came quick for the people of Anaheim and it was a good thing for Pearl, as she wanted to catch up on some reading.

"Pearl," Wildwing said to her, "Your Uncle Phil has some promotion gimmick, only it's for you."

"What?" the princess asked and got up from the desk.

"Call me crazy, but it sounds like a good idea," Tanya commented to something Phil had said.

"Is there something I need to know?" Pearl asked her uncle.

"Listen, the Ice Skating League wants to do a show here next Friday after the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and they were wondering if you want to participate," Phil explained.

"I'll pass," Pearl replied, shocking the others.

"Oh, c'mon, I thought ice skating was your biggest talent," Phil begged, but Pearl gave a smirk.

"And we are dealing with the brother of Louran who is infatuated with me, doesn't that bother you?" the princess asked her guardian.

"It does and I would do anything to keep that weirdo away from you, but if you don't want to do the show, that's fine, I just thought you would be interested," Phil replied and everyone exchanged shocked glances.

"Holy cow, are you all right Phil? This is the first time you let anyone decide on anything," Wildwing asked, but Phil nodded.

"I know, but Pearl is like a daughter to me, so I'll do whatever she says. Please, excuse me, I've got to call the judges," the obese manager said, taking out his cell phone.

Pearl, however, began to think; maybe participating in an ice skating show would be good for her.

"Uncle Philip," she said, just as he dialed the number, "I have changed my mind, I'll do it, but promise me that you be happy if I get low scores."

"All right, I promise," Phil replied and says into the phone, "Hey Judge; my niece says she'll do it."

()()()()()()()()

Awhile later, Pearl began to practice her moves on the ice. She did spins, swirls, aerial jumps, and many other stunts.

She was given the details about the show; she is to do her own piece, choosing what music that would fit with her moves. She will be judged along with ten other skaters and the highest score would be 30, if she were to get three perfect ten's.

"Judge Paul George happens to be a friend of mine," Phil informs, "He is usually tough, one slip-up and he will give you a low number."

"What about the other two judges?" Subria asked.

"Barnaby Wilson and Chelsea Sanders, they are easy to sway," Phil answers.

After twenty minutes, Pearl was tired, but she kept on practicing to perfect her moves. "I think that's enough for today," Wildwing informed and Pearl nodded.

Just then, Drake 1 gave out an alarm and the Ducks surrounded it.

"There is a spell page here!" Tanya exclaimed.

"What? Here at the Pond?" Nosedive asked.

"Search every room, it could be anywhere," Wildwing ordered and everyone checked their rooms.

Pearl and Wildwing looked in their room, but there was nothing. "Weird, maybe Drake 1 gave a false alarm," Pearl said after searching the desk.

"That would be unusual, since it has never done that before," the mallard informed.

Then, Pearl spotted something on the bed; it was a bright little light and she examined it a bit closer. Suddenly, the light jumped up and touched Pearl's forehead and in a flash, she vanished!

"Pearl?! What the?!" Wildwing exclaimed, just as the light touched him. To the mallard, it felt like he shrunk and he landed on the soft comforter of the bed.

"Wildwing!" Pearl called out from across the bed.

"Pearl, what happened?!" the mallard asked.

"That's what I want to know, look!" the princess replied, pointing to the desk.

To them, it looked like the whole world grew to enormous size.

"Did we shrink?" Wildwing asked, again.

"I believe we did, it must've been the 'Little' page," Pearl answered and explains, "It shrinks anyone or anything to the smallest size, and in this case, we're changed to the size of an ant."

"This is just great, how are going to get help?" Wildwing asked.

"I have no idea," the princess replied.

Just then, Nosedive entered in their room, "Hey Wing, where are you?" he asked.

"Over here!" Wildwing shouted as loud as he could, but it appeared that his brother didn't hear him.

Then, Pearl shook his shoulders and he turned to come face-to-face with a spider!

"Run!" she yelled and they ran across the bed.

"DIVE! DIVE!" the mallard cried out, but the brother still didn't hear him and he left the room.

They reached the end of the bed and the spider was catching up to them. Pearl then went to the bed frame and slid down with Wildwing following behind. When they reached the ground, they panted so hard that they almost hyperventilated.

"Terrific, we chase spiders away, but we got chased by one," Wildwing informed and swallowed, "I need water."

"Me too, I didn't get a sip since finishing the practice," Pearl replied.

Out by Drake 1, the other Ducks and Subria gathered around. "I went to Wing's and Pearl's room, but no one was there," Nosedive informed.

"Odd, that's where they went, that's the last time I recalled," Subria replied.

"Maybe they went up to the arena," Canard said and he and Grin went up to look.

The two small sized spell captors were able to get out of their room and out in the hallway.

"Can you contact them with your communicator?" Pearl asked and Wildwing slapped his face.

"Uh, I'm such an idiot," the mallard replied and turned on the communicator on his arm.

"Hey guys?" he called out and his image appeared on Drake 1's screen.

"Yo bro, where are you?" his brother replied back.

"Go back to the door to our room and don't move from there," Wildwing commanded, but the others gave a confused looks.

Subria volunteered to look and went to Pearl and Wildwing's bedroom door.

"I'm at your door, now what?" the African princess asked.

"Get down on your knees," the leader informed and Subria obeyed, "Now look down."

Subria did and saw the two ant-sized couple, waving at her.

"Pearl? Wildwing? What happened to you?" she asked, scooping them up in her hands.

"We got shrunk thanks to the 'Little' page," Pearl replied and Subria showed them to the group.

"Well, now I've seen everything," Grin said, but no one laughed.

"Tanya, can you do a complete scan throughout the Pond?" Wildwing asked and the smart Duck did.

The scan was complete and it featured that the spell was heading out the door!

"Don't let it get away!" Pearl shouted and they rushed to the steel door.

Wildwing spotted it; the 'Little' page had the appearance of a young girl wearing yellow clothing.

"Hold it!" he shouted and jumped right on the spell.

"What the heck?!" Phil exclaimed when the Ducks almost crashed into him and almost dropped an empty jar.

"Subria, use the jar!" Pearl ordered and her bodyguard grabbed the jar and trapped the spell and Wildwing.

"What the heck is going on?" Phil asked, but noticed Wildwing hanging onto the spell inside the jar.

Subria opened the jar and Pearl walked up to it.

The 'Little' struggled to get away from Wildwing's grip, but then Pearl summoned her spell book.

"'Little', I command you to return to the spell book from where you came!" she shouted and the spell obeyed. Then, both Wildwing and Pearl grew back to actual size.

"Don't say a word," the leader commanded and no one disobeyed.

()()()()()()()

Awhile later, Pearl and Wildwing drank down almost all the spring water in their kitchen.

"What a day, and I can't believe we came face to face with a spider," Pearl said to Wildwing.

"I'm going to have nightmares for weeks," the mallard replied and he kissed her cheek.

"Wildwing, I don't know how you will react, but I found something about that rhyme," the princess said and he looked at her.

"Pearl, you shouldn't worry about that," he informed.

"Just listen; Howel took it from the 'Ladybird' rhyme and it goes like this,

**_Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home._**

**_Your house is on fire and your children are gone._**

**_All except one and her name is Ann._**

**_And she hid under the baking pan._**

"Pearl, everything will be all right, we will not let that goon destroy this place or take you away, I promise," Wildwing said.

"I see, but I really want to know what it means," the princess replied.

"Maybe I can help you with that," Nosedive said upon entering with the others.

"The rhyme was usually sung by farmers or flower pickers back in the old times and they were superstitious. You see, killing a ladybird, actually a ladybug is considered to bring bad luck, so they would sing that to scare the bugs away," the young Duck explained.

"However, we think that 'your children are gone' part and 'your friends are gone' appears to be that we ran away from something. And the 'hid under the baking pan' and Pearl 'hid under Howel's arms' sounds like being shielded from danger," Subria replied.

"So, you're saying that I should 'fly away home' because the Pond is on fire and my comrades have ran away, except for Pearl, who happens to be hiding under Howel's arms," Wildwing said, sarcastically.

"Yeah, that's better much it," Nosedive replied to his brother.

"Well, we can assure you that we will not run away when that time comes," Canard assured them.

Everyone gave each other the thumbs up and the show comes to an end.


	4. Episode 4

Episode 4: Singing Perfection

A new school week began for Pearl and Subria and today was the first day of auditions for the homecoming singing contest. "Why not give it a try? I know you will do well," Pearl said to her bodyguard.

"I don't see why not, but what if the judges don't like my song," Subria answered, with a hint of nervousness.

"I'll be right there in the seats, watching you," Pearl said, in a supporting tone.

That afternoon, Subria waited in line with other eager auditioners while Pearl waited inside the auditorium.

Finally, it was Subria's turn and she came on the stage, staring at the judges. She took a deep breath and began to sing one of her traditional lullabies.

_*My Sarie Marais is so ver van my af_

_Ek hoop haar weer te sien_

_Sy het in die wyk van die Mooirivier gewoon_

_Nog voor die oorlog het begin_

_O bring my terug na die ou Transvaal_

_Daar waar my Sarie woon_

_Daar onder in die mielies by die groen doring boom_

_Daar woon my Sarie Marais._

_My Sarie Marais is so far from me now_

_I hope to see her again_

_She lived on the shore of the Mooi river_

_Before this old war began_

_O bring me back to the old Transvaal_

_There where my Sarie lives_

_There under all the corn near the green tree with thorns_

_There lives my Sarie Marais._

The judges were stunned, Subria had a voice of purity and they began to whisper to each other.

"Well, Miss Kinsman, we're pleased that you translated your song, and we like your voice, how would you like to part take in the competition at the homecoming?" one judge asked.

Subria nodded happily and left the stage. "YES!" Pearl exclaimed out loud, jumping up and down, and everyone stared at her.

()()()()()()()

The two princesses returned to the Pond and were excited to share the news to the Ducks.

"Everyone, Subria here is going to be singing at the homecoming at school," Pearl said to them.

"Ah, that's my beautiful girl, way to go Subria," Duke replied and kissed his sweetheart.

"Homecoming, man, those were the good old days," Mallory said, tilting her head up.

"How long has it been since we were in high school or college?" Canard had asked his comrades.

"Long time ago; some say it's best to bury your past," Grin replied, but everyone looked at him.

"I have to agree, I hated school," Nosedive informed.

"When is your homecoming?" Wildwing asked the two girls.

"Not until next month and I am hoping that we will be able to stop Howel before that time," Pearl replied and went to their room to change into her work out clothes and skates.

"I better start practicing, too; the judges said I have a good voice and they want it to be as it is," Subria said and went to her room.

For over an hour, both princesses practiced their moves and singing ability.

()()()()()()()

Night fell upon the city, but for those night-owls, they crawled out of their places to take part of the dark night. At the school, the hallways were empty and black, that is until a bright light formed in one of the rooms.

()()()()()()()()

The next day, the two princesses returned to school and were planning to head to the music room for Subria's practice, but discovered a note informing them that the practice was canceled.

"That's strange, why would anyone do that?" Pearl asked.

"You mean you haven't heard?" a boy asked and they turned to face them. "There is a rumor going around that that room is haunted by a singing ghost, my teacher heard it last night," the boy informed and he dashed off.

"A singing ghost?" Pearl said to Subria and she gave a confused look.

Awhile later, Pearl called the Ducks about what she learned.

"The school is haunted by a singing ghost?" Nosedive asked as a shiver went down his spine.

"I am not sure if that is true; Tanya, can you do a scan on the school?" Pearl asked the smart Duck.

"Apart from the Pond, that community college is becoming a hot spot for spells," Tanya said after completing the scan.

"Looks like we're staying late, again, Subria. We'll wait for you at the music wing tonight," Pearl informed the group.

()()()()()()()

Evening came and the school was quiet with hardly any students in sight. The Ducks arrived and joined with the two princesses. Pearl lead them to the music wing inside the arts building.

"Okay, I have that gut feeling that something terrible is going to happen," Nosedive said to the others.

"Dive, will you relax? It's probably nothing," Wildwing said to his brother.

"Shhh! Did you hear that?" Tanya whispered and they listened.

Sure enough, they heard a beautiful voice, singing a tone that echoed in the darkness.

"That sounds familiar," Pearl replied after hearing the song.

"It is?" Wildwing asked and the princess nodded.

"I could've sworn I heard it the other day," she answered and they followed to the source.

As they edged closer to the sound of singing, the voice was much clearer to Pearl and she understood what it was.

"It's the 'Song'; it mimics one person's voice and it would sing the tone that person sung," Pearl said and turned to Subria, "It is singing your song from the other day."

Subria listened, "You're right, it is my lullaby," she replied. Pearl lead them to the room where the 'ghost' was supposed to be. She turned the door knob and opened it. Just then, a flash of light rushed passed the group and it vanished.

"We need to lure it somewhere so no one will notice," Wildwing informed the group.

"Let's go to the roof," Mallory pointed to a set of stairs.

"Why would the 'Song' mimic Subria?" Duke asked Pearl.

"It must've been in the auditorium because that's where the auditions were and the judges were happy with Subria and I think the 'Song' was, too," the princess explained.

When they reached the roof top, there was nothing in sight, except for…

"What are you doing here?!" Mallory demanded from the three henchmen staring at them.

"We're here to cook some annoying Ducks," Morholt replied, taking out a club.

"Now, now, my henchmen," Howel intervened, stepping in between, and spotted Pearl.

"If you think you're going to take Pearl, you can-" Howel placed up a hand, silencing Wildwing.

"I am not here for Pearl, I'm here to inform you about how to summon the 'Song'," the warlock said to them.

"Uh, we really don't need the help," Nosedive replied, but Pearl stepped forward.

"Why do you say that?" she asked.

"Your bodyguard summoned it the first time with her singing and I believe it will come, again," Howel answered, staring deep into Pearl's brown eyes.

"If what you say is true, I'll…" the princess trialed off and took a deep breath, "I'll let you stroke my cheek."

Everyone gasped in disbelief, especially Wildwing, "Pearl, are you insane?!" he blurted out.

"How interesting," Morholt said to his master.

"Just a stroke, nothing else," Pearl demanded and Howel nodded.

"Oh no, I'm not getting to let that creep come near you!" Wildwing exclaimed, but Pearl held up a finger to his beak, "Do you have any other bright ideas?" she asked in a whisper.

Subria stepped forward, took a deep breath and began to sing.

_My Sarie Marais is so ver van my af_

_Ek hoop haar weer te sien_

_Sy het in die wyk van die Mooirivier gewoon_

_Nog voor die oorlog het begin_

_O bring my terug na die ou Transvaal_

_Daar waar my Sarie woon_

_Daar onder in die mielies by die groen doring boom_

_Daar woon my Sarie Marais._

Just then, a bright light appeared in front of Subria, and a girl with pink-purple hair, came into view. She had what appeared to be a dress that had musical note patterns and had earrings in the shape of violins.

_My Sarie Marais is so far from me now_

_I hope to see her again_

_She lived on the shore of the Mooi river_

_Before this old war began_

_O bring me back to the old Transvaal_

_There where my Sarie lives_

_There under all the corn near the green tree with thorns_

_There lives my Sarie Marais._

Both of them sang the last part of the song and Pearl stepped forward.

"'Song', I command you to return to the spell-book where you came!" she ordered and the spell obeyed and it took residence in a vacated page.

"Now, I held my part of the bargain," Howel replied, walking towards Pearl.

Wildwing wanted to blast the warlock, but Canard held him back.

Howel stood in front of the princess and she stared into his cold, dark eyes and his fingers touched her cheek. Goosebumps shot up on Pearl's skin, _'He's cold as ice'_ she thought.

Just then, Howel delivered a kiss to her cheek, and in the next second, Pearl slapped him across the face.

"I said a stroke, nothing else!" she said, angrily.

"That really hurt," Howel replied, touching his red cheek.

"You better scram or you're going to regret it!" Wildwing ordered, holding up his blaster.

The three henchmen brothers left, but Howel stared at Pearl for a couple more seconds. "One day, princess, one day I'll have you," he said and he vanished into the night.

"That creep! He's worse than Louran!" Mallory bellowed out, angrily.

"Shhh! Do you want to tell the whole campus that we're here?" Nosedive asked.

"Pearl, what you did there was…" Wildwing trialed off; he was angry with her for letting down her guard.

"Stupid, I know, I should've been more careful," the princess replied and placed her head on his chest.

"Ah, gosh, I can't stay angry with you," the mallard said, placing his arms around her.

"Did you see the look on his face when you slapped him?" Nosedive asked, "That was pure genius."

"Ah, Subria, you have a voice of a…of a…" Duke struggled to think of a word that would please his beloved. The African princess shook her head and kissed him.

"Subria," Pearl said to her bodyguard, "The 'Song' is yours; I guess it was meant for you."

Subria signed her name on the spell page, taking ownership of the 'Song'.

"Hey, Subria," Duke said to his sweetheart, "Can you sing your lullaby, again?"

The African princess blushed and she gave a smile.

_My Sarie Marais is so ver van my af_

_Ek hoop haar weer te sien_

_Sy het in die wyk van die Mooirivier gewoon_

_Nog voor die oorlog het begin_

_O bring my terug na die ou Transvaal_

_Daar waar my Sarie woon_

_Daar onder in die mielies by die groen doring boom_

_Daar woon my Sarie Marais._

Subria sang and then did her translation,

_My Sarie Marais is so far from me now_

_I hope to see her again_

_She lived on the shore of the Mooi river_

_Before this old war began_

_O bring me back to the old Transvaal_

_There where my Sarie lives_

_There under all the corn near the green tree with thorns_

_There lives my Sarie Marais._

Everyone clapped their hands, they loved Subria's song and then they returned to the Pond.

* * *

**From the author: The song, 'Sarie Marais' is a traditional Afrikaans folk song that was possibly created either during First Anglo-Boer War (ca.1880) or the Second Anglo-Boer War (ca.1900). Since Subria is from the Arthurian times, I thought maybe the song can be much older than believed.  
**


	5. Episode 5

Episode 5: Double Mischief

The weekend arrived, but at the Pond, the Ducks decided to sleep in before doing any of their daily duties. In their room, Wildwing and Pearl were awakened by a rattling noise at their door.

"Wha…?" the mallard replied when he opened the door.

Suddenly, someone threw a bag to the ground, and it exploded, blinding the couple with dust. "What the heck is this?!" Pearl coughed and saw that she was covered from head to toe.

"Powdered grits," Wildwing answered and sneezed.

"AHHHHHH!" someone cried out from the bathroom.

"Nosedive, you jokester!" Mallory shouted; her hair was stuck in fly paper.

More shouts of surprise followed, "My meditation crystals!" Grin cried out, when he saw that his collection of crystals were painted in different colors.

Duke and Subria came in, completely wet, and Duke's hair had slopped over his eye.

"Get me down!" Canard shouted and everyone saw that his foot was caught in a lasso.

'BOOM!' Tanya's chemistry lab exploded when the smart Duck added a mysterious chemical to her experiment.

"That kid! I swear I'm going to rip every feather off of him!" Canard said, angrily as Wildwing untied him from the lasso.

"Mallory, hold still," Pearl demanded as she cut off the hair that was stuck on the fly paper from Mallory's head.

"Nosedive, where are you?!" Tanya shouted.

The young mallard appeared, his face was red from laughing so hard, "Man, I've been waiting to pull this off for a long time!" he joked, but no one was laughing with him.

"Dive, these pranks could've hurt someone," his brother informed.

"Look at me! I now have to get a hair-cut because of you!" Mallory shouted, angrily.

"My senses are in Topsy-turvy because you ruined my crystals!" Grin added in.

"Okay, okay, I get it; I'm sorry. I promise I won't pull another prank, again," Nosedive swore, but everyone looked at him.

"You promise?" Wildwing asked and his young brother nodded.

"Oh, Grin, that paint is washable," Nosedive said to his friend.

Pearl and Wildwing washed off the powder grits in the shower and were drying off when…

"NOSEDIVE!" Tanya cried out from the kitchen.

Everyone hurried to see that the smart Duck was gurgling water and spiting it in the sink.

"What did he do?" Wildwing asked.

"He replaced the sugar with salt; you know I hate salt in my morning tea!" she complained.

"Oh yeah, I totally forgot about that," Nosedive informed and laughed.

"Okay, that's it," Pearl said, "I think it's time we teach him a lesson."

Everyone looked at her and back at the young mallard and he knew it was not good.

()()()()()()()()

The team decided to go to the high school track field and punished Nosedive by ordering him to run a full mile.

"Dude, I ain't doing it," he replied.

"It's 'I am not doing it'," Pearl corrected him.

"And I thought you wrote stories," Canard said, chuckling.

"He didn't do well in English class," Wildwing reminded his friend.

"Well, get to it, kid," Duke ordered, but then, Nosedive dashed off towards the woods.

"Dive, you little twerp! Come back here!" Wildwing shouted after him and he and Pearl went looking for him.

"Dive, do you want us to extend it to two miles?" Pearl called out, but no answer as they went through the thicket of trees.

"Dive?" Wildwing called.

"Over here, you two," Nosedive answered and they saw that he was in the middle of muddy patch, only he was sinking in it, "Help me out of this, it's trying to swallow me."

"Make no sudden moves," Pearl ordered him in a panicked tone, "YOU'RE IN QUICK SAND!"

"Quick sand?! Oh gosh, get me out of here!" Nosedive cried as he sank deeper into the ground.

Wildwing pulled hard on a tree branch and it broke off and he hurried to the pit, only to see that Nosedive had vanished and bubbles broke the surface of the gooey substance.

"NO! NO! NO!" he cried out and using his hands, he dug through the sand, but there was nothing.

"Oh, why wouldn't you listen?!" Wildwing shouted up to the sky.

He began to cry and so did Pearl, but they noticed that someone offered them a tissue. That's when they saw that Nosedive was standing in front of them, "Got ya," he chuckled and he explains, "It's just mud, you saps."

Wildwing looked at his muddy hands, anger rose inside of him and he went back to the Migrator.

"Hey bro, it was a joke," Nosedive replied, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH ME!" Wildwing shouted, turning his head around to face Nosedive.

"A sap?! Well, excuse me for my sincerity, but you almost gave me a heart-attack!" the leader continued to yell at his brother. Nosedive struggled to hold back his laughter as Wildwing continued his bellowing.

"And for your information, you're the only family I have left in this lifetime! But you! You and your various pranks!" he shouted, but Nosedive didn't like that.

"If you're so angry about me, why didn't you leave me on Puckworld?!" Nosedive asked, his face was inches away from Wildwing's.

"I guess I should've! But I only asked for one thing, one thing! But you ignore it and now look what it got us into!" the older brother shouted back and the two began to beat each other. The others watched in horror as the two brothers jumped on one another.

"That's quite enough! I demand you forgive each other!" Grin called out.

"STAY OUT OF THIS, GRIN!" both brothers shouted back at him.

Nosedive jumped on Wildwing, trying to grab his neck, but the older brother slapped him across the face, "I've had enough!" he shouted and pushed Nosedive off.

"I am going back to the Pond! You Nosedive can walk back!" he ordered and headed to the Migrator.

"But Wing, you don't mean that?" Pearl asked.

"Yes, I do! I wish I followed Canard's advice and left him on Puckworld to fend for himself, than rather having to deal with his immaturity!" Wildwing replied, angrily and walked off.

Nosedive was hit hard by his older brother's words and he bellows, "FINE! Go back! I don't blame you! Because everything I've done was *my* fault!"

Suddenly, he broke down in sobs, so loud in fact that Wildwing stopped in his tracks.

"Yeah, you heard me! I'm nothing but a foul, dumb, feathered head loser!" Nosedive cried out and continued to sob.

Wildwing looked at his brother, at first, he thought Nosedive was pulling another prank, but the tears appeared real to him.

"Dive?" he asked.

"What?" his brother replied, still crying.

"You're staining your shirt," Wildwing said, pointing a finger at the tear-stain and then flicked it at Nosedive's beak.

"Got ya," he joked and the two shared a laugh.

"Awe, so glad to see the ding-ling brothers are back together so quickly," Duke informed the others.

"After that dramatic show? I thought they would never speak to each other, again," Mallory replied.

"So, are you going let by-gones be by-gones?" Nosedive asked and Wildwing ruffled with his head.

"Yup, but here's the thing," the older brother informed and explains, "No more pranks, otherwise I'll sign you up at a track team against your will."

"Okay, deal," the young mallard replied with a sigh.

"I still want a mile, right now," Wildwing ordered and Nosedive groaned as he went to the track.

()()()()()()()()

Nosedive completed the mile run, but it took him almost two hours. By the time he was finished, he urged his comrades to take him far from the racing track.

The Migrator returned to the garage, but as soon as Pearl stepped out of the truck, her senses triggered a seizure and she grasped her chest. "Pearl!" Wildwing exclaimed, coming to her side and cupping her head in his hands. "It's okay, breathe, just breathe," he commanded his sweetheart.

Finally, the seizure was gone and Pearl's face returned to color. "There's a spell page here," she said to the group.

"Uh, guys," Tanya called from inside the headquarters. The others came in to see that there were two Drake 1's. "Now I know I didn't build two of them," the science wiz duck said.

"What the...?" Mallory said when two doors opened to reveal that they were of her room!

Grin walked into his room to see that his meditation crystals had multiplied and there were two of each. In Duke and Subria's room, there were two beds, instead of one.

"Okay, this is getting weird," Nosedive said after he discovered duplicates of his books and magazines.

"Hey!" Canard shouted from outside the headquarters and the group went to see that there were two ice rinks, but that wasn't it. Two child-like creatures with long arms and a yellow hue surrounding them were dancing around, giggling.

"It's the 'Twin', a prankster spirit that likes to play around, but its favorite thing to do is making duplicates," Pearl explained.

"Alright, I can handle one clown, but not three," Mallory said, cracking her knuckles.

The 'Twin' noticed the Ducks and the two princesses and one floated down toward the group, but it only laughed and was about to float back up.

"Oh no you don't," Duke said and used his lasso to trap the one spell.

"'Twin', I command you to return to the spell book from where you came!" Pearl shouted out, but nothing happened. The princess spoke the words, again and again, but still nothing happened.

"Uh, I think the book may be broken," Nosedive said, just as the first 'Twin' broke free of its bindings.

The two child-like spells danced about in the air, teasing the Ducks and the two princesses. "I don't understand, why wouldn't it go back into the book?" Pearl asked herself.

"Wait a minute," Wildwing said, pointing to the spell. It looked like they were inseparable and maybe they were in a mental sort of way. "I think we need to capture both of them at the same time," the leader said and something clicked in Pearl's brain.

"Wildwing, I think this would be a perfect opportunity for you and your brother to work together," she replied to him.

The two drakes looked at each other, then they nodded.

"Hey 'Twin'!" Nosedive shouted and the two spirits looked at the youngest member of the team and his older brother. Then, the two brothers wiggled their behinds at the spell, mocking them.

The spell came down to their level, rather curiously, but then, both brothers turned around, throwing punches and kicks at the spell, but it would always dodge them.

Pearl than thought up a plan and opened to the 'Shadow' page. "'Shadow', help us trap the 'Twin'!" she commanded and the spell whirled around on the floor. Both Nosedive and Wildwing pushed the 'Twin' towards the 'Shadow'.

The two child spirits fell through the black portal, but stopped half-way, showing from the chest up. The two brothers punched knuckles, "Way to go, baby bro," Wildwing commented.

"No, you the duck!" Nosedive replied back.

Pearl walked up to the 'Twin' and shouts, "'Twin', I command you to return to the spell book from where you came!" This time, both the child-like spirits entered back into the book, taking residence in a vacated page.

Then, the 'Twin's duplicates vanished, returning everything to normal. "Wow, what a day and it's not even 3 yet," Mallory said.

"Hey boobies!" Phil called out as he entered the arena, "What's happening?"

"Uh, nothing," Wildwing replied, "We just captured a spell," he added.

"You know, I really want to see you take down those spells in action," the obese manager said and headed up to his office.

"Wildwing, Nosedive," Pearl said to the two and opened the 'Twin' page and gave a pen to them to sign on it.

Just then, Nosedive's eyes widened, as if he realized something. "Phil, don't open the-!" It was too late. When Phil opened his office door, a gust from a fan sent some flour flying, covering the manager in a white substance.

Nosedive was sure that he was in deep trouble this time and waited for his brother to yell at him. Except, Wildwing did not yell, instead, he started to laugh and the others followed suit.

"It's about time that someone pranked him, I'm just sorry it wasn't me," Mallory said, while chocking on tears.

Nosedive than started to laugh and Wildwing says, "Oh, Dive, no matter how bad your pranks are, I still love ya." "I love ya, too, big bro," Nosedive replied and they shared another laugh.


	6. Episode 6

Episode 6: The Dash's Best Friend

"There it is!" Pearl cried out as she spotted the spell and the Ducks hurried after it. Pearl discovered the spell while it was at the community college's tiny forest stream.

"Wow, that spell is really fast!" Nosedive said, stopping to catch his breath after chasing the spell for quite some time.

"Its name is 'Dash', it can run much faster than anything, human or animal," Pearl explained to the Ducks.

"It's no use, we'll never catch it at this rate," Wildwing said as he panted. Just then, they heard the rustling of bushes and they turned to see Howel's three henchmen, Morholt, Ozanna, and Teithi with bows and arrows.

"Back off you three stooges!" Mallory demanded, holding up her puck blaster. In the shadows, someone gave a wave of his hand, and Mallory yelped in surprise as her blaster suddenly became heavy.

"We are not here to fight," a voice said and out of the bushes came Howel. Wildwing placed himself in front of Pearl, blocking Howel's view of her. _'Someday, I will have her,'_ Howel's thoughts said.

"We understand that you are having a bit of trouble catching up to a certain spell," Morholt said to the Ducks.

"That ain't...I mean, that's not true," Nosedive replied, correcting himself.

"That may be, but it seems that the 'Dash' has the upper hand," Grin said to his young friend and the Ducks gave groans.

"I see," Howel chuckled and he turned around to see that the spell had returned. The 'Dash' had the features of a small, blue and white colored fox with a blue, star-shape gem on its forehead.

"Very wise of you," the dark wizard said, but suddenly, he threw a dark energy spell at the 'Dash'. The spell went running and Morholt, Ozanna, and Teithi began shooting arrows at it.

"Stop it!" Pearl ordered, but they ignored her.

Then, Howel threw one spell at the 'Dash', sending it flying into the brush and it vanished. The Ducks charged at the four, stopping them from hurting the spell any further.

Wildwing threw a punch at Howel and the wizard grew angry. Pearl opened the book and turned to the 'Mist' page, one of the spells that was captured weeks before Howel's appearance. "'Mist', summon the thickest fog you can offer!" the princess commanded and the spell obeyed.

The 'Mist's fog was much like a thick cloud and no one could see a thing through. Pearl and Subria gathered the Ducks and they hurried away from Howel and his henchmen.

Howel summoned a strong wind to make the fog move. When it cleared, he saw that the Ducks and the two princesses were gone. "Very clever, Princess Prywden, but someday, that book won't so useful," Howel said and he and his henchmen vanished.

()()()()()()()()

Out by the community college's running track, a young woman named Jeanne DeSoto had finished her run, but she was the last to finish. "Miss DeSoto," her coach said to her, "You've got to pick up the pace, otherwise you won't make it to the championship."

Jeanne nodded and went to collect her bag. Jeanne was deeply disappointed that she couldn't finish first today. It was always her dream to make it to the state's track and field championship, but with her condition, it would almost always slow her down.

Years ago, while Jeanne was in middle school, she tore the lateral collateral ligament in her right leg and went through surgery and rehab. She was ordered to not run track anymore, but Jeanne refused to obey.

At times, Jeanne needed to stop in the middle of a track race because the pain in her knee was so bad and it cost her in going to her high school's championship and earning a scholarship to university.

Now that Jeanne was in community college, she thought that this would make up the loss in high school, but now, she felt that she still could not win.

Jeanne collected her stuff and headed to her car. As soon as she got to the parking lot, Jeanne heard a yelping noise, almost as if an animal was crying in pain, and it sounded close by.

Jeanne went to look around the bit of forest close to the lot, wondering if she would find the creature in time. "C'mon, keep yelping," Jeanne insisted as she continued her search.

Finally, she found the source of the crying, a blue and white fox creature who appeared to be limping its back leg. It was the 'Dash', but Jeanne did not know it.

She pulled out her towel, hoping to catch it without a hassle. However, the 'Dash' took painful steps away from Jeanne. "It's okay, I am not going to hurt you," she said and placed the towel over the 'Dash'. The spell didn't put up much of a fight and Jeanne took it back to her car and headed on home.

()()()()()()()()

At the Pond, Tanya was pressing a few keys on Drake 1, trying to locate the 'Dash', but nothing came up.

"I believe the best way to detect it is when it goes for a run," Pearl said to the group.

"Yes, but what if Howel captures it before we do?" Mallory asked.

"I don't think he is interested in capturing the spells," Subria replied and adds, "I believe he is waiting for the book to be full of the spells and that's when he will take it."

"Well team, all I can say is that we wait," Wildwing said to them and they nodded.

()()()()()()()()

At Jeanne's apartment, the young woman tended to the 'Dash's injuries, wrapping the back leg in some gauze. She then made some food for it and watched it eat its meal.

"I had a leg injury and I still do," Jeanne said to the spell and it became curious. She showed the surgical scars on her back knee. "The doctors told me to not run anymore, but it's always my dream of making it to the state championship," Jeanne added and the 'Dash' seemed to understand.

"You know, I should call you Felix because I think it was luck that brought us together," she added, giving the spell a name and Jeanne took a picture of the spell with her phone.

The 'Dash', now called Felix, cuddled up on Jeanne's bed and both of them went to sleep. Felix, however, walked to Jeanne's bad leg and laid itself on it and a strange glow surrounded him.

()()()()()()()()

The next day, Pearl and Subria were walking around the athletics' area after getting out of their last class and stopped to watch the track team warm up. "I heard that we could be eligible for the track state championship," Subria said to her mistress.

Then the team positioned themselves on the track and waited for their couch to say go. Jeanne took a few deep breaths, usually her bad leg would start acting up, but today it didn't. "GO!" the couch shouted and the runners went off.

Jeanne was running much faster than usual today and her bad leg did not trigger any pain. In no time, she passed the first runner and was in the lead and she stayed there and reached the finish line.

"Miss DeSoto," her couch said to her in an astonishment, "How in the world did you do that?"

"I don't know," Jeanne answered.

"Well, you must've done something to yourself because you broke the track record," her couch said and Jeanne was amazed. The other runners and the people who watched were surprised, including Pearl and Subria.

Jeanne went to retrieve her bag, but she needed a drink of water. "Here," Pearl said, handing Jeanne a bottle of water. "Thank you," Jeanne replied and took it.

Suddenly, Pearl's senses went haywire and grabbed hold of the fence to steady herself. "Are you okay?" Jeanne asked.

"I'm fine, just a headache," Pearl lied and introduces herself, "I'm Pearl Jadynak and this is my friend, Subria Kinsman."

"I'm Jeanne DeSoto," the track runner replied.

"That was quite a run out there, Jeanne," Subria said.

"I know, I never thought I had it in me. Just yesterday and for the last few days, I always ended up being last," Jeanne replied and revealed the back of her knee.

"Oh my, what happened?" Pearl asked.

"When I was in middle school, I tore the lateral collateral ligament. I went through surgery and rehab and I was told, more like ordered to never run, again. You see, running is my passion, and it's always been my dream of going to the state championship. Usually, my bad leg always acted up, but today it didn't," Jeanne explained.

"Maybe because you set your mind on achieving your dream and not on the pain your leg has been causing," Pearl said.

"Or maybe it was Felix, he's my lucky charm I guess," Jeanne replied and showed them the picture of Felix.

Pearl's heart almost stopped and her eyes grew wide as she stared at the 'Dash'. "Where did you get him?" she asked, keeping her astonishment out of her voice.

"I found him by the woods, he was badly hurt and I'm going home to see if he is okay," Jeanne replied and bid goodbye to them.

Once Jeanne was out of earshot, Subria was the first to speak, "This is bad."

"I bet that would explain why Jeanne ran well today, the 'Dash' can transfer its power to an individual," Pearl replied and adds, "We need to tell the others." The two of them caught a ride on the public bus and it went away towards the Pond.

()()()()()()()()

"Are you kidding? The 'Dash' is with a track runner?" Wildwing asked Pearl, after she told him and the other Ducks of what she and Subria learned.

"I suspect that after Howel injured it, it limped off and Jeanne happened to find it. However, I never thought it would transfer some of its power to her," the princess replied.

"How are we going to retrieve the 'Dash'?" Canard asked. Pearl began to think and looked through her spell book, coming across the 'Move', another spell that the group captured a few weeks ago.

"I think we can retrieve the 'Dash' by using the 'Move'," Pearl replied. The 'Move' has the ability to move objects around, but no one thought that the spell could be used on another.

"What if it won't work?" Mallory asked.

"We have to give it a try," Subria replied and turns to Tanya, "Can you find Jeanne's home address?"

Tanya pressed a few keys on Drake 1 and located Jeanne DeSoto's apartment and Tanya did a quick scan. Drake 1 gave the alert that there was a spell there. "Why haven't I done this earlier?" the science wiz asked herself.

"No time to ask questions, we better get going," Pearl informed the group and they went for the Migrator. The big truck went at full speed and it hurried away from the Pond.

()()()()()()()()

At her apartment, Jeanne told Felix what had happened earlier that day. "If I can make just one more run, my coach might choose me to go to the championship," she said to the spell.

The young woman retired to bed and Felix also went to sleep. Outside of the apartment, on the street, the Ducks and the two princesses looked up at the window where Jeanne's apartment complex.

Pearl, however, groaned, "I can't use the 'Move'," she said and pointed to the closed window, "Not unless that is opened."

"Leave that to me," Duke volunteered and shot a rope with a gripping claw to the roof. Once the claw was secure, the ex-con made his ascent to Jeanne's window.

The group watched, but Subria noticed a shadow on the roof and calls, "Duke, stop!" Just then, Duke realized that he was going up, someone was pulling on his lasso and when he reached the top, he came face to face with Morholt and his two brothers.

"You going for a climb, ducky?" Morholt asked, as he held up the lasso and the gripping claw. Before Duke could say anything, Morholt let go of the lasso, and the ex-con was falling straight down.

Pearl turned to the 'Flower' page and calls out, "'Flower', make a pillow of flowers!" The spell obeyed, summoning millions of flowers, and Duke landed on them, safely though.

Subria came to Duke's side and everyone looked up to see the three henchmen, laughing, but then, Howel appeared. "Enough!" he ordered and the three brothers hushed. "My apologies," the dark wizard said.

"It's a little late for that," Duke replied, but Howel looked at him.

"I wasn't talking to you," he replied and fixed his eyes on Pearl, who gave an angry frown. "I understand that a certain spell lives here now," Howel said.

"What is it to you?" Nosedive asked, bitterly.

"You're getting better at your English, bro," Wildwing joked, but turned his attention back to Howel.

"Allow me to retrieve it, save yourself from using any spell," the dark wizard replied and floated down to Jeanne's window and opened it with a wave of his hand.

The 'Dash', or Felix heard the window opening and gave a hiss when it saw Howel. "Felix?" Jeanne asked as she was waking up.

"Jeanne can't see this," Pearl said and turned to the 'Sleep' page, "'Sleep', use your power to send this young runner to slumber," she commanded in a soft voice and the spell obeyed.

The 'Sleep' used its magic dust on Jeanne and she went back to dreamland in under a second. Howel than waved his hand to move Felix out of the room. The spell hissed and growled at the dark wizard.

"Leave Felix alone!" Pearl demanded and Howel looked at her.

"Felix?" he chuckled, "So, it has a name? How interesting," he added as the 'Dash' continued to growl.

"Can we keep it?" Morholt asked, but his master shook his head.

"It, or Felix, belongs to the princess," Howel replied and sent the 'Dash' down to Pearl. The spell looked at its princess, as if begging to not command it to go back to the book.

"I'm sorry Felix," Pearl said and opened the book, "'Dash', I command you to return to the spell book from where you came," she commanded in a soft voice. The spell obeyed and it took residence in an empty page.

"Now," Howel said, coming down to Pearl's level, "I believe I deserve a thank you," he added.

"You don't deserve anything," the princess replied, "Not even me, now go!"

Howel gave a chuckle, "I don't like it when you're angry, but no matter what mood you are in, you are always beautiful," he said.

"What is it with you when it comes to beauty? Does that only matter to you?" Pearl asked, angrily and took a few steps away from Howel. Suddenly, the dark wizard vanished and appeared right in front of Pearl and he took his hand and placed it on her chin.

"Just to let you know, I always get what I want," he said in a menacing tone.

"Get your hands off her!" Wildwing ordered and gave a hard push at Howel, making him let go of Pearl. The drake placed himself in front of the princess and held up his puck blaster and everyone else followed.

"I am warning you, something tragic is going to happen and you cannot prevent it," the dark wizard said, pointing a finger at the Ducks and looks at Pearl. "Someday princess, that spell book won't be useful and I will take you for myself," he added and then, he and his henchmen vanished.

"That...that...creep!" Mallory bellowed, but Nosedive placed a hand over her beak.

"Do you want to wake up the whole neighborhood?" he asked and Mallory shakes her head and muffled something. "What did you say?" Nosedive asked, moving his hand away.

"I said 'when was the last time you washed your hands?'" Mallory spoke her question.

"C'mon, we better go, but I just hope Jeanne does not get too upset when she sees that Felix is gone," Pearl said to the group and they returned to the Migrator and returned to their headquarters.

()()()()()()()()()

The next afternoon, Pearl and Subria went to the track, hoping to talk to Jeanne before her run. Today was the final day for the runners, for anyone who crossed the finish line first would be chosen to represent North Orange County Community College in the California State Track Championship.

"Look there's Jeanne," Subria said, pointing to the young woman sitting at a bench and they walked over to her.

"Jeanne?" Pearl asked and the young woman looked at her, "What's wrong? Is it your knee?"

"No, Felix is gone. I woke up and I couldn't find him anywhere," Jeanne replied, the threat of tears was in her eyes.

"Jeanne, there's someone I want you to meet," Pearl said and Wildwing in his causal clothes appeared.

"Miss Jeanne DeSoto?" he asked and the young woman nods, "I understand what it's like to lose a friend, but I believe if you set your mind on Felix and the thought of seeing him, again, that might help you win today," Wildwing said to her. Jeanne nodded and the couch called for the runners to come.

Pearl noticed the sad look on Jeanne's face, "If she can't stop thinking about losing Felix, she might not win today," she said, but an idea came to her head and went through her school bag.

The runners, including Jeanne took position at the start, however, the pain in Jeanne's leg started to act up. "Don't think about it," she said to herself and looked ahead. What she saw surprised her. A little further away, the 'Dash' or Felix's image appeared.

A smile formed on Jeanne's face and then, set her mind on Felix and the pain subsided. "GO!" the couch shouted and the runners went off. Jeanne went running, keeping her eyes on Felix, who appeared to be running ahead of her.

Everyone shouted support for the runners, even Pearl, Subria, and Wildwing cheered for Jeanne. "C'mon Jeanne!"

The young woman was third and the finish line was close by. Ahead, Felix looked like he was barking, more like demanding Jeanne to keep going. With all the strength she had in her legs, Jeanne pushed herself on, passing the two runners, making it to first.

Finally, Jeanne crossed the finish line and everyone cheered. Pearl embraced the young woman and hugged her. "Congratulations Jeanne!" she exclaimed and Jeanne hugged her back.

"Jeanne DeSoto, congratulations," the couch said, "You will represent this school in the championship!"

Everyone gave their congrats and support for Jeanne, but she looked around the track, hoping to find Felix. Pearl put away the spell book and walked up to Jeanne. "You did think about Felix?" she asked and Jeanne nods, "Now that is what will help you reach the finish line at the championship," Pearl added and Jeanne hugs her, again.

"Thank you," she said and was determined to achieve her dream of completing the championship.

* * *

**From the author: Whew! This was a long chapter to write! Stay tune for more episodes!  
**


	7. Episode 7

Episode 7: The Switch

Another day arrived, but for Pearl, it was practice non-stop for the ice-skating contest as that day grew closer.

"You better pull this off, otherwise, I'm going to lose some big-paying customers," Phil warned his 'niece'.

"Uncle, how could you think about money at a time like that?" the princess asked, bitterly.

"Oh, I mean…do your best," he corrected, but everyone rolled their eyes as the obese manager left the arena.

After an hour, Pearl stopped to rest at a bleacher, when she noticed a teddy bear, with a red rose and a diamond necklace around its neck.

"Excuse me miss, I'm looking for a Lady Pearl, is she you?" the princess could see that Wildwing was hiding under the bleacher and mimicking the bear.

"Yes, and who may you be?" she asked and the mallard stood up from his hiding place.

"I thought I wait for Friday, but I felt guilty in hiding him under the dark bed," Wildwing said, handing her the bear.

"Awe, he's so soft and cute," Pearl commented, hugging the stuffed animal.

"Pearl?" Subria asked, but stopped, "I'll leave you two alone."

"No, no, it's okay," her friend replied, "What is it?"

"I was wondering what color you want your skirt to be," Subria said, showing her a drawing of an ice-skating skirt with long sleeves.

Pearl began to think and Wildwing replies, "How about purple and white? And they can merge."

Subria quickly filled in the skirt with color and showed the picture, "Like this?"

The skirt now featured the bottom half in eggplant purple and the top part was crystal white and the two colors bled in the middle.

"Yeah, I like that; I like it a lot," Pearl commented and Subria went back to her sewing room.

"Are you excited?" Wildwing asked and she gave an 'ify-ify' hand gesture.

"That happens to me, too sometimes, but it'll be okay," he replied.

Pearl looked at the teddy bear, admiring the diamond necklace and the rose, "This gem isn't real is it?" she asked.

"It's only 1 carat, or so I've been told," Wildwing answered.

"You didn't have to get me anything," she replied.

"But I wanted to, just to show how much I love you and I'll be supporting you in every step of the way," the mallard said, taking the necklace off the bear and putting it on Pearl.

She kissed his cheek and was about to return to the ice, when Wildwing's communicator buzzed.

"Wing, are you there?" Canard asked.

"What's going on?" his comrade questioned back.

"I don't know if it's me or something, but I'm locked in the sports' management office building with Phil, and I mean every door is locked and the keys are not working, according to security," Canard explained.

Pearl's senses went a little crazy, "It's definitely a spell page. Just stay put, we'll be there in a minute," she replied to the mallard.

The group got into the Migrator and immediately went downtown.

()()()()()()()()()

As soon as the Ducks arrived at the office building, Pearl spotted a lock device that was designed with wings and it chained around the glass doors. "It's the 'Lock', you probably know what it can do," the princess said to her friends.

She headed to the spell and opened up the book, shouting, "'Lock', I command you to return to the spell book from where you came!"

The spell obeyed and in the process, the glass doors became unlocked. The inhabitants, including Phil and Canard left the building in relief, but some were unaware of what just happened.

"The book is half-way full, we're getting good at this," Subria said to her princess.

Just then, Pearl placed her hands over her ears and she fell to her knees as her senses went crazy, again.

"Pearl, what's the matter?" Wildwing asked, "Is it another spell?" He came to her side and he could hear the ringing in her ears.

Then, a high-pitched man's voice called out, "Out of retirement, I return to the streets to claim my revenge!"

Up on a low-roof building, a man wearing a super-hero's suit and cap came out into the light and he swung down on a rope.

"MONDO-MAN!" he shouted, but suddenly, the rope snapped and he crashed to the ground.

"Oh no; not him, again!" Nosedive exclaimed as the hero-wannabe stood up to right himself.

"Who is he?" Subria asked and Pearl and Canard were also curious.

"Alvin Yasawa, a.k.a. Mondo-Man, the worst human we have ever encountered," Duke said and explained their run-in with him a few months ago.

"I thought he was in jail?" Tanya asked and the 'hero' looked at them.

"Let's go for round two, Ducks! C'mon, show me what you got!" he demanded, showing off in a wrestler's stance.

"I think we'll pass, just go home and think about what you are doing," Wildwing told the geek.

Then, Alvin spotted Pearl and his jaw dropped as pumping hearts appeared in his eyes.

"I know what you're thinking and the answer is no, I'm taken," the princess said, showing the weirdo her promise ring.

"You know, only the best get the girl, and I can take on your boyfriend," Alvin replied.

"Okay, that's it, you better scram," Nosedive warned and went up to the human.

Suddenly, a flash of light sprung pass the group and it hit the two head on.

"What the?" Mallory exclaimed, when she noticed a blue colored chameleon creature with red and yellow eyes.

"Don't let it get away!" Pearl ordered and the others circled around it.

"What is that?" Duke asked.

"I don't know, but it's a spell, I know it is," the princess replied and opened the book.

"Spell page, I command you to return to the spell book from you came!" she called out and the spell obeyed. Once everything grew calm, the Ducks turned their attention to Nosedive and Alvin.

"Oh, my head," the young mallard said, but his voice was different, much like Alvin's.

"Uh, Nosedive, are you okay?" Wildwing asked his brother.

"What are you talking about, I am not okay," Alvin answered in Nosedive's voice and everyone just stared at the two.

"Okay, I'm freaking out right now," Mallory replied.

Pearl shut her eyes and muttered something and took a peek at the new spell page. "Oh my gosh! You two switched bodies!" Pearl exclaimed and the two looked at each other.

"Hey, that's my body," Alvin's voice spoke from Nosedive's body.

"And that's mine," Nosedive said to his body, but the realization came to them.

"Oh man! This is messed up!" Duke replied.

"What was the spell that hit them?" Wildwing asked Pearl.

"The 'Change'; it switches the mind of any occupant with another," she replied, pointing to the page.

"So, switch them back," Phil said to her, but she gave a nervous look.

"There's a problem, I can't do it now," she answered, but everyone was confused.

"What do you mean you can't?" Nosedive's voice asked.

"How can I say this? Uh, you two have to wait till tomorrow at this exact time to switch back," the princess added.

"WHAT?!" the two bellowed out.

"Oh no, I refuse to be stuck in this…goon's body for a whole day!" Nosedive cried out.

"Who are you calling goon?" Alvin questioned very bitterly and the two began a bickering match.

"Stop it!" Wildwing ordered and they hushed, "There's nothing else to do, except to wait it out till tomorrow, so Alvin has to stay with us."

The Ducks gave groans and they stared at Alvin and Nosedive.

"Who are you referring to, Nosedive in Alvin's body or Alvin in Nosedive's body?" Duke asked.

"Both," Pearl answered and everyone looked at her. "I would like to explain some things to Alvin," she added and he gave a sigh.

"You know, this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't shown up," Nosedive replied, pointing a finger at his body.

"Hey, I was here to see if there was trouble and you happened to show up!" Alvin said and they resumed their bickering match.

Pearl then walked up to them and pulled on their ears, "I advise you two to set aside your problems and come with us," she informed them in a commanding voice and they headed back to the Pond.

()()()()()()()()

When the group got back to headquarters, the Ducks gave Alvin (Nosedive in Alvin's body) some spare clothes. "Man, this bites," the young mallard's voice said.

"I'll say," Alvin replied, "If you left everything to me, I would've-OW! OW!" Alvin exclaimed as Mallory tugged on Nosedive's ear.

"I always wanted to do this to Nosedive, but this will do," Mallory said and released the ear.

"Alvin, there are some things you need to know, and I want you to keep this a secret," Pearl demanded at Alvin in Nosedive's body, who nodded.

For the next hour, the Ducks and the two princesses explained to Alvin about their backgrounds and how they ended up in Anaheim. Pearl also explained about her duty in capturing the spells.

"Wow, I can't believe I got things mixed up," Alvin replied.

"And I understand that it cost you a few months of your freedom," Pearl said and the mallard nodded. "Now, I believe that it would be a good time for both Nosedive and Alvin to get to know each other," the princess added and both Nosedive and Alvin's dropped.

"Oh, no way!" Nosedive's voice shouted from Alvin's body.

"C'mon Dive, you two like comic books, right?" Wildwing asked and both nodded. They went into Nosedive's room and Alvin was surprised by the collection of comic books.

Alvin noticed Nosedive's journal and almost chuckled because of the bird designs, but he held it down. "What do you use that for?" Alvin asked, but his body gave a sneer.

"Nosedive," Wildwing warned, arms over his chest.

"I write stories," Nosedive replied and his body gave a surprised look.

"Can I look in it?" Alvin asked, but Nosedive didn't want him to.

Pearl motioned her head towards the mallard's body and Nosedive handed the journal to Alvin. His eyes schemed every word on the pages and he seemed engrossed by the mallard's stories.

"These are really cool," Alvin said to his body.

"You serious?" Nosedive asked and his own head nodded.

Pearl and Wildwing decided to leave the two alone and went to their own room. As soon as they reached the door, Pearl's senses went crazy once more and her knees buckled.

"Pearl!" Wildwing exclaimed, catching his girlfriend before she fell to the floor. The others hurried toward the commotion and Pearl's mind came back into focus.

"There's another spell and it must be in here," the princess said.

"Three spells in one day, that's got to be a new record," Tanya said to the group. Pearl opened the door to her and Wildwing's room, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

"Wait a minute," Wildwing said and noticed something was amiss. "Where's the teddy bear I got you?" he asked Pearl. The princess noticed that the stuffed animal was not on the bed, as it was the last place where she saw it.

Then, the group noticed something move across the floor, it was the teddy bear. "Please tell me that I'm not the only one who saw it move," Alvin asked.

"Okay, you being in Nosedive's body is really hard to get use to," Duke replied, pointing out that Alvin's mind was in the young mallard's body.

"Look!" Subria exclaimed as the stuffed animal jumped.

"I sense a spirit inside that bear," Grin replied. Wildwing went up to the teddy bear and picked it up. Suddenly, something shot out of the bear and it jumped out of the room. The creature was a pink-colored bunny with a zig-zag tail and pointy ears.

"The 'Jump'," Pearl named it, "It possesses items and makes them jump around and it's actually quite stupid," she explained.

"I got it!" Alvin exclaimed and went after the spell. Unfortunately, it jumped away as Alvin (in Nosedive's body) tried to catch it. The spell than went out the door and the group went after it.

The spell jumped outside and it was much faster than the group. "Hold on!" Tanya exclaimed, "Pearl, can I please borrow the book?" she asked and Pearl handed over the spell to the science wiz.

Tanya opened up the 'Wood' page and commands, "'Wood', use your vines to en-cage this spell!" The spell obeyed and thick vines sprouted from the ground and grabbed the 'Jump'.

"Alright Tanya!" the Ducks cheered at their comrade, but Nosedive's face showed worry as Alvin's mind noticed something.

"Uh, guys," Alvin said, pointing to the 'Jump'. The spell was glowing a bright pink and the vines vanished and then, the 'Jump' began to get big, really big.

The 'Jump' was now enormous and it roared like a lion. "Oh man," Nosedive said and the group hurried away as the spell tried to step on them. Everyone hid from the spell.

"This is just great, how are we gonna catch it!" Mallory said as she panted.

"Hey Ducks!" Alvin called out and everyone gathered around him, actually Nosedive. "I have an idea and it's crazy," he said and shared his plan.

The spell walked about the town, terrifying the inhabitants and they scurried away. "YOOHOO!" some of the Ducks called out and made faces at the 'Jump'. The spell felt offended by this and went after them.

"It's coming!" Canard shouted at the others. Duke summoned his lasso and gave some slack to Pearl and Wildwing.

"Wait for it!" Alvin commanded as the other Ducks raced toward their comrades. Once they cleared away from the lasso, the spell was in range and Alvin gave the order, "Now!"

Duke and Wildwing pulled hard on the lasso and in the next moment, the 'Jump's' foot got caught and it began to fall over. It hit the ground face first and then, it began to shrink in size, returning to normal.

Everyone stared down at the 'Jump', its eyes featured spirals as it was dizzy. "Like I said, its intelligence is not that great," Pearl said and opened the book. "'Jump', I command you to return to the spell book from where you came!" she ordered and as usual, the spell obeyed.

"That was fun!" Alvin commented and Pearl held out a pen to him. She explained about anyone having co-ownership of the spell and he signed.

They realized that it was really late and they returned to the Pond to turn in for the night.

()()()()()()()()()

The 24 hours was almost up for Alvin and Nosedive and both were eager to get back into their own bodies.

"I want to thank you for setting my mind straight, now I feel doing some exploring!" Alvin's voice said from Nosedive's beak.

"Exploring? Such as?" Pearl asked rather curiously.

"Hawaii, Tahiti, just any island paradise! I feel like going around the world!" Alvin answered and adds, "By the way Nosedive, you should get your stories published!"

"Really?" Nosedive replied and his own head nodded in response. Then, a clock chimed from somewhere, it was finally time. Pearl opened the book, turning to the 'Change'.

"'Change', please return these two minds back to where they belong!" she commanded and the spell appeared. It then hit Nosedive and Alvin's bodies and they could sense the switch.

When the process was complete, Nosedive was the first to speak, "I'm back! Oh, I never want to leave this body, again!" Alvin than hugged his own body, but what happened next was totally unexpected.

Alvin grabbed Pearl by the shoulders and kissed her on the lips! Everyone was shocked, including Pearl and when Alvin let go of her, the princess punched at him, hard.

Alvin collapsed as he saw stars. "Did you file a restraining order against this lunatic?" Pearl asked Wildwing and she rubbed a hand over her mouth, disgusted by what Alvin just did.

The hero-wannabe got to his feet and wobbled away, with the Ducks and the two princesses laughing.

* * *

**From the author: Another episode done! I actually hated Alvin, even in the original series, but I couldn't figure out how the spells, especially the 'Change' would be captured. Stay tuned and please leave reviews!  
**


	8. Episode 8

Episode 8: Pearl's Big Night

The one night finally came for Pearl, but she was as nervous as ever. "Calm down Pearl, you might get hyperventilated," Subria said to her princess as she fitted Pearl in the skirt Subria had prepared.

"Oh my," Mallory exclaimed upon entering, "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," Pearl replied and stared at her reflection. The outfit she was to wear tonight was purple and white, the same colors as the Ducks' jerseys and there were Austrian crystals sown into the dress.

The princess then shed the purple and white outfit and got into her normal clothes. The show was not until after the Ducks' game with the Toronto Maple Leafs that evening and it felt like an eternity to Pearl.

Awhile later, she went to school with Subria, but throughout the day, she couldn't concentrate in her classes.

"Pearl, you look ill," Subria said to her mistress while in between classes.

"I don't feel ill," the princess replied.

"Your eyes are glassy and your face is flushed, do you feel any pain anywhere?" the African princess asked.

"No, but I feel so cold," Pearl answered and she rubbed her arms.

"We should go home early, you need to rest," Subria advised and went to call Phil.

"No, no, I feel fine, I swear," Pearl begged and her friend put away her cell phone.

()()()()()()()

Late afternoon came, but the sky became black with thunder clouds and the wind blew hard. "Man, this is going to be an ugly night," Nosedive said to his team.

The girls came home and Wildwing noticed something was not right with Pearl. "Are you all right? You look sick," he said to her and summoned Tanya to take Pearl's temperature.

"99.0, not a fever, yet actually," the smart Duck said.

"Maybe you should re-consider about tonight," Mallory advised Pearl.

"Enough!" the princess snapped at everyone, "I'm fine, now leave me be!"

She then regretted that moment and took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, I guess it's the pressure and maybe it's affecting my psychical being."

"She could be right; stress does a lot of weird things to your body," Tanya replied.

Pearl went back to her room to rest and Wildwing wanted to follow.

"Where are you going?" Canard asked, "We still have a half-hour of practice time."

"You go and practice, I want to—" "Listen, Wildwing, you have to stop worrying about Pearl," Canard cut off his friend, "All you care about is that little attention-hobbler!"

That made Wildwing tick and he shouts back, "You can't talk to her like that!"

"Why? It is the truth!" Canard yelled back.

Suddenly, Wildwing threw the first punch and the two engaged in a fist fight.

"Stop it! Both of you!" Duke ordered as he and the others separated the two.

"I hope you are happy with her! You two make the ideal couple!" Canard shouted, being pulled back by Mallory and Grin.

"You're just jealous because you are no longer leader!" Wildwing yelled back and threw the mask of DuCaine at Canard.

"Here! I hope you are happy!" the mallard said and walked away, refusing to part-take in the practice. In fact, he did not want to be goalie anymore.

()()()()()()()()

Pearl laid on the bed, her head was hurting and she didn't know what it meant. She looked at the clock; the game was to begin in five minutes, but the weather outside made it to look like midnight.

Then, her senses began to go crazy, "A spell at a time like this," she said, angrily. She began to think; she didn't want to stop the game and pull the Ducks into this situation.

It was settled then; she had to capture this spell on her own. Pearl was careful not to draw attention as she slipped out of the Pond and into the storm. Lightning cracked and the wind blew hard as the princess struggled to find the source.

Then, she saw an opening in the clouds, the eye of the storm and she summoned her spell book.

"'Thunder', help me—" but before she could summon the words, a gust of wind lifted her off the ground and she fell.

However, it felt like someone grabbed her by her hand and pulled her upright.

Pearl looked up and saw the face of the one man she hated, Howel. "I told you before, I will never—" "Hush princess," he told her. "I'm not here to take you prisoner, I'm here to help you capture this spell," he replied and a ball of bright light appeared in his hand.

"Please, don't hurt it," Pearl begged, but Howel chuckled, "This will only stun it."

The ball of lightning went up into the eye and a loud boom was heard. Pearl covered her ears; the bang was loud enough to make her go deaf.

Then, the black clouds disappeared and the wind died down, and a figure began to fall toward the two.

It landed close by and Pearl went up to inspect it; the spell had the features of a young boy with curly hair and he appeared to be wearing armor. "The 'Storm', a very nasty spell," Howel informed and Pearl commands, "'Storm', I command you to return to the spell book from where you came." The spell obeyed and took residence in an empty page.

Pearl then turned to face Howel and he began to speak, "I'm here to give you a message. You and your beloved friends better be ready when I strike their headquarters."

"I can assure you, we will be ready," Pearl informed, bitterly.

"I think you better head back to the game, I sense that things are not going well with the Ducks," Howel said and the princess' face lit up.

She dashed back to the Pond, leaving Howel behind who featured a grin, "And good luck, princess," he whispered and disappeared.

()()()()()()()()

Howel's predication about the Ducks was true; Canard had taken over as goalie, but he failed miserably as the Maple Leafs had scored three points without a hitch.

"Wildwing, you have to take over for Canard, you're good at being goalie," Duke said to the 'former' leader.

"Not unless he apologizes about what he said of Pearl," Wildwing answered, angrily. Pearl rushed to the Ducks' bench, where she met with Phil and Subria.

"This is bad; I never thought Canard was terrible at being goalie," Phil said to Pearl.

"Can you call a timeout? I need to talk to them," the princess asked and the obese manager called for one.

The Ducks gathered around Pearl, but she pulled in Canard and Wildwing.

"Listen, I don't know how long you've been friends, but I don't want that tie to break," the princess said to the two and they stared at each other.

"Canard, what you say is true, I love getting attention from Wildwing, but only because I love him and he does get carried away," she said to Canard and turns to her boy-friend, "Wildwing, you've got to learn how to set your mind on the well-fare of your team, they need a leader who can set them on the right path and you have a good record and I want to keep it that way."

The two drakes looked at one another and at Pearl and they nodded.

"I guess I was jealous, not because my friend was leader, but he has found the love of his life," Canard replied and gave back the mask of DuCaine to Wildwing.

"Ducks, can you pull this off?" Pearl asked the team and they all nodded and returned to the game. Things took a turn for the better; Wildwing returned to his position at the net and was able to block the rival's shot.

Canard then led the puck to the enemy's net and managed to score the Ducks' first point. The Ducks succeeded in winning the game by four points and the crowd was pleased.

"DUCKS ROCK!" the team gave their trademark cry.

()()()()()()()

Awhile later, the Ice Skating League took over and their skaters were ready.

"Pearl will be the fifth one to perform," Phil told the Ducks when they took their seats at the bench.

In the dressing room, the princess got back into the purple and white skirt and its crystals glittered in the light.

"Milady, you feel warm," Subria said when she touched Pearl's forehead. "I'll be fine," the princess informed as she set her hair up in a bun and applied makeup to her face.

Up in the arena, the first four skaters did not receive favorable scores from the judges, especially Paul George.

"Man, when Phil said he is not easy to impress, he wasn't kidding," Nosedive said to the group.

Wildwing was worried that Pearl might not get top scores and it might affect her ego. "Wing, she'll do great, I know she will," Canard said in a supportive tone.

Finally, it was Pearl's turn and she met with the Ducks' before going onto the ice.

"Oh, you look beautiful," Wildwing said and rubbed her shoulders.

"We know what we say, break a leg," Nosedive replied, but Pearl thought it to be a bad omen.

She took a deep breath, then went to the center of the ice, and waited for the music to begin. Then, the second half of Ottorino Respighi's 'Pini di Roma' began.

Pearl followed the music like it was her guide and she did amazing spirals, jumps, spins, and other elements. In the final blow, she did a quadruple jump spin and did her final pose.

The crowd gave loud claps and whistles, including the Ducks, Subria, and Phil as Pearl bowed and left the ice.

"You were incredible!" Mallory commented and the others gave more inspiring words to Pearl.

"Guys, shhh! The judges are ready," Phil warned and turned to face Pearl, "Like I promised, I won't get upset if you don't get a high score."

"The judges have made their decisions," the announcer said and the three spoke out.

"10," said Chelsea Sanders.

"10," Barnaby Wilson replied.

Paul George then adds in "10!"

The Ducks went crazy and Pearl placed a hand over her mouth; she actually did it!

She didn't know if she wanted to cry or faint, but she was glad that the trial was over for her.

Wildwing took her in his arms and he hugged her tight. Then, Pearl began to feel cold and she began to shiver. "Wildwing, I need to lie down," she told him and he looked at her with a worried face.

The two left the arena and went to their quarters, where Pearl shed her skirt and skates. She realized that was sweating profusely, but she didn't understand, and she went to bed.

"Pearl, what's wrong?" Wildwing asked, kneeling at her side, "Are you not feeling well?"

The princess didn't speak, she wanted to go to sleep and she waited for her beloved to come to bed. He did and the two slumbered off, but Wildwing was deeply worried about his love, but he decided to wait till morning to ask her.

* * *

**From the author: What's going to happen to Pearl? Find out next time!  
**


	9. Episode 9

Episode 9: Under the Weather

Morning came, but the Ducks were already awake, except for Wildwing and they waited for him in the common room.

"Tanya! Tanya!" he cried out from his room and the smart Duck hurried to his aid. "Something's wrong with Pearl," he informed Tanya and they went to the bed, where the princess was.

The princess showed herself; her cheeks were red and Tanya felt her forehead and took her temperature. "102.5, there's no way you're gonna catch spells in this condition," the smart Duck informed.

"My head is hurting so much," Pearl said, weakly.

"What is there to do?" Wildwing asked, while gently rubbing Pearl's shoulders.

"Do you think I'm going to die?" the princess replied, but everyone chuckled.

"No, you won't. I'll bring some medicine and she'll need to eat something and she will need to rest," Tanya informed and went to the infirmary.

"What can I make for you?" Subria asked, "Potpie?"

"Not that," Pearl groaned.

"How about some oatmeal with fresh apricots?" the bodyguard asked and her friend nodded. Pearl was given some medicine to help reduce the fever and she ate some of the oatmeal Subria made for her. Wildwing placed an ice pack on her head, but it made Pearl shiver.

"Sorry, it'll help cool you down," he replied and watched her fall asleep.

"Hey Pearl!" Phil shouted and kept on calling for her.

"Hey! Be quiet!" Mallory demanded, "Pearl's asleep, she's sick."

"Sick? Why didn't you call me?" Phil asked, wanting to go into her room.

"She's to rest, no visitors," Wildwing said, while blocking his manager from going in.

"Why are you so eager to talk to her?" Tanya asked him.

"After the show last night, my cell has been ringing off the hook; there are calls from every ice skating league around the US and they are begging to meet her," Phil replied.

"Why?" Wildwing asked, he was quite irritated about this.

"No idea, but I have feeling that something really great is going to happen," the obese manager said.

Just then, the door to Pearl's room opened and the princess stood there, staring at her guardian.

"Whatever it is, I'll pass," she informed him.

"Pearl, just hear me out," Phil said and began to explain, "Some of the schools that the Ice Skating League run are willing to offer you a scholarship and they would think that if you succeed in your lessons, they might even put in some shows. What do you say to that?"

Wildwing stepped forward, placing an arm around Pearl, "I think it's best that she doesn't accept, we're dealing with a lunatic who would stop at nothing to take her," he replied.

"And besides, this isn't a good time for her to think, she needs to rest," Mallory reminded them.

Pearl then looked at her uncle, "When I get better, I'll think about it," she said in a weak voice.

"Well, that's good to hear," Phil replied, "If you need me, I'll be in my office."

Pearl returned to her room and after a short while, she was in deep sleep.

()()()()()()()

That afternoon, the weather took a strange turn; it was cool and clear, but then, the clouds became gray and a humid wind blew into town. "Can't this weather get any worse?" Nosedive asked.

Pearl's fever didn't go down, instead it rose almost every hour and she felt weaker. Tanya gave her more medicine and Subria made a broth soup and Pearl resumed her slumber.

When it got dark, the clouds still lingered with gray and gloom. That's when Pearl realized that her headaches were in fact her senses going off, informing her of a spell nearby.

"I'll have to think of something," she whispered to herself and then, she knew what kind of spell that would do the trick.

"'Mirror', I command you to take the form of my image," she demanded and the 'Mirror' did so.

"Good, now stay in this bed till I get back," Pearl ordered the spell and the false princess obeyed. Pearl quietly snuck out of the headquarters and hoped that no one would suspect her being gone and that a spell had taken her place.

In the common room, the Ducks and Subria listened to the weather report. "Maybe this is triggering Pearl's illness," Tanya said to the group.

"Wait a minute, wasn't there a storm last night?" Canard asked and checked something on the Internet.

Their suspicions grew when they watched a video of yesterday's storm, but a flash of lightning caused the clouds to disparate.

"This makes no sense; how could some lightning make something that big vanish?" Nosedive asked.

"Canard, go back a few seconds," Wildwing said and his friend did. That's when they noticed something going up into the clouds and exploding, and then, something dropped from the sky.

"Tanya, can you enhance this?" the leader asked the smart Duck and she began to do the work. After a few minutes, they saw what looked like a boy wearing strange clothes and headwear.

"Is that a spell?" Mallory asked.

"Maybe, it just came out of the clouds," Nosedive informed.

"I'm going to talk to Pearl, she must've done something last night before the show," Wildwing said and left the room.

He entered his bedroom, where he saw his beloved in bed and he could hear her soft breathing. He came to her side, Pearl was in deep slumber and the mallard decided to leave her be.

"It can wait," Wildwing said to himself and kissed Pearl's cheek, it felt warm and soft. After he left the room, the 'Mirror's' cheeks turned red. She had never been kissed before.

()()()()()()()()

Outside, the real Pearl struggled to concentrate on what to do. She thought about flying up to the clouds to see what kind of spell this is.

"'Fly', give me your wings," she commanded and wings sprouted on her back and she flew up to the sky.

As soon as she reached the clouds, she saw one that looked peculiar and flew over to it.

Then, she noticed a human figure resting on the cloud; she had fluffy hair and she had a depressed face. "You're not the only one who's feeling down," the princess said to the spell.

Just then, her heart began to pound so hard that she felt her veins pumping in her head and she was going in and out of consciousness.

"You shouldn't be out here," a male voice informed from behind her and she turned to see Howel, floating in the air.

Pearl stared at him and asks, "Are you here to take me? Or offer assistance?"

"I wish I could take you, but I made myself a promise, so I am here to assist you, again," the dark wizard replied. However, the 'Cloud' spell stood up from her resting spot and looked at Pearl, curtsying to her.

The princess bowed her head and pulled out the spell book, "'Cloud', I…command you…" Pearl was struggling to say the words.

Then, her head slumped over and was about to fall towards Earth, when Howel caught her in his arms.

"My goodness, you have a terrible fever," he remarked and looked at the spell. "'Cloud', the princess commands you to return to the spell book from where you came," he ordered the spell and she obeyed. Howel felt sorry for Pearl and he wanted to take her for himself.

Just then, the princess awoke and, without warning, slapped Howel across his face. "You still have it in you," the dark wizard commented, rubbing his sore cheek.

"I must get back to the Pond," she replied, but she struggled to get her footing.

"You're too weak to walk back," Howel informed, taking Pearl by the hand, "I'll lead you."

The dark wizard took the sick princess back to the stadium and he placed a hand on her forehead.

"You shouldn't have left your bed, you could've collapsed out here and the Ducks would not know until it would be too late," Howel said to her. Pearl stared up at him, looking into his dark eyes; they were not cold like a winter's night, but were full of concern and warmth.

She shook her head; what was she thinking? Howel was the enemy, but he was treating her like a doctor would advise a sick patient. "Can you get back to bed before anyone else knows you're gone?" he asked her and she nodded.

Pearl left him at the entrance and Howel disparate, but he still felt sorry for leaving the princess in a terrible state.

()()()()()()()()()

Pearl was able to sneak by the Ducks' common room, where she could hear them and Subria talking. Her vision became blurry, sweat ran down her face, and she had trouble getting her footing.

When she reached her room, the 'Mirror' was shocked to see her princess and came to her aid.

"'Mirror'…get my…friends…" Pearl said while shivering and the spell returned to its normal form and went to look for the Ducks.

The 'Mirror' saw the light in the common room and rushed in, surprising everyone.

"Who are you?!" Canard demanded, holding up his blaster.

"Wait a minute, that's 'Mirror'," Duke informed, walking up to the spell, "What's the matter, kid?"

The 'Mirror' had not seen Duke for a long time, but it there was no time for a reunion, and she pointed out and replies, "Princess."

"Pearl is in trouble?" Wildwing asked and the spell nodded.

The Ducks rushed into Wildwing's room, where they found Pearl lying on the floor, shivering. "Tanya, get in here!" the leader commanded and the medic Duck took the princess' temperature.

"104.0, we got to do something," Tanya said, but then, Phil came forward.

"Don't give her anymore of that medicine, she never had any stuff like that in her time," he informed.

"What is there to do?" Wildwing asked, holding his beloved in his arms.

"Nosedive, would you mind if Pearl had one of your popsicles?" Subria asked the young mallard.

"No, does it matter what flavor?" Nosedive replied, but the African princess shook her head and he went off to the kitchen.

"What will that do?" Mallory asked.

"Our cooking teacher said eating popsicles will reduce the risk of dehydration, but we're going have to do more than that," Subria said and turns to Grin, "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to look through your spice cupboard."

The gentle giant didn't mind and Subria went through the cupboard, taking out basil and black pepper and turned on the tea kettle.

Nosedive came back with a tri-color Popsicle and Pearl began to suck on it, the cold juices ran down her throat, soothing her. When she was finished, Subria came with a mug of a strange looking drink.

"This is my family's recipe for fighting a fever, but she has to drink it twice today," the African princess replied and brought the mug to her friend's lips.

Pearl moaned and moved her head away from the tea, "I hate…that stuff…" she said, weakly.

"I know, but you must drink it," Subria replied and Pearl turned her head back to the mug and began to sip.

After a few moments, Pearl finished the tea and was brought back to bed. "Wildwing, you're going to have to…" Subria trialed off and whispered something to his ear. The leader looked startled and everyone seemed to notice.

"Bro, you're turning red, what's the matter?" Nosedive asked.

"Uh, nothing, um, you guys have to leave, now," Wildwing ordered and everyone obeyed. "Subria, are you sure?" he asked her.

"Yes, when Pearl was small, she had a fever just like this and the heat from the fowl's feathers did the trick," Subria replied and looked at her mistress, "And since you're the closest thing to a fowl, no offence, you're going have to do it."

Wildwing nodded his head and he hoped that this remedy would work. "Okay, but I'll do it myself," he informed and Subria left the room, shutting the door.

Wildwing then got undressed and then removed Pearl's clothes, not including her undergarments and slipped between the sheets, snuggling with his poor beloved.

()()()()()()()()()

Sometime later, Pearl awoke, her fever had gone down a bit, but she still felt weak. She then realized that she was nestled against a bunch of white feathers and she looked up.

Starting back at her was her boyfriend, Wildwing; he had used his body heat to keep her warm. She smiled at him and he smiled back, "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"A little better, but I thought I was going to die," she replied, snuggling her cheek against his feathered chest.

"I thought so, too, but if it wasn't for the 'Mirror', you could've," Wildwing informed, his fingers streamed across her scalp.

"Did Subria tell you about this? Because I would be embarrassed if Uncle Philip told you and the others," Pearl asked.

"Phil knows about this, too?" the mallard said and the princess nodded, "No, he didn't, and I would be really embarrassed if he did."

"Subria is wiser in informing just to you," Pearl replied and placed a hand on his chest, "You never told me you have soft feathers."

Wildwing smiled; he was grateful that his beloved was getting better and kissed her forehead.

"You should get some more sleep; I should inform everyone you are out of the woods," he said and Pearl nodded.

"And when you do, can you ask Nosedive what flavor popsicle he brought; I kept getting cherry, then orange, and some other one I never tasted before," she replied and he gave the thumbs-up.

"That would be a three-flavored Popsicle and they usually have cherry, orange, and grape in one," the mallard answered and Pearl made a face.

"Sounds like a disaster to me," she replied and he chuckled as he pulled the blanket up to her face.

Wildwing got back into his clothes and gently rubbed Pearl's shoulders and then, he noticed the spell book. Curiosity got the best of him and he opened the book, looking at the sealed spells. That's when he noticed two new spells, the 'Storm' and the 'Cloud'.

"Pearl," Wildwing said, shaking her awake. "Where did these come from?" he asked, pointing to the new spells.

A look of dread came over Pearl and Wildwing seemed to notice, "Did you wander out of here to capture these spells?" he asked, shutting the book.

"No, I wandered out of here a few hours ago to capture the 'Cloud' and I captured the 'Storm' on the night of the show," she admitted and Wildwing looked upset.

"Why? You were in no state in capturing the 'Cloud'. You could've died out there," he said, a hint of anger in his voice.

"I didn't do it alone!" Pearl blurted out, but she caught herself.

"Pearl, are you saying Howel came to your aid?" the mallard asked and she nodded.

Wildwing walked around the room, his hands running around his scalp.

"What were you thinking? What if he took you away and we were not able to locate you?" he said.

"I was on my guard," Pearl informed, but the mallard shook his head.

"You were weak from the sickness, that was his advantage," Wildwing replied and the princess turned away. "Pearl, I'm sorry for overrating, but I love you and I hate to see you in enemy hands," he added and took her in his arms.

"I'm sorry, too," Pearl replied and kissed his cheek.

"Get some more sleep, the team and I will be practicing up in the arena," Wildwing said and was about to leave when Pearl grabbed him by the arm.

"I forgot to tell you, Howel told me that you and the others should be ready when he attacks," the princess warned.

"Don't worry, we'll be ready," the drake replied and Pearl went back to sleep while Wildwing went up for practice.

* * *

**From the author: No, Wildwing and Pearl did not have sex, I thought that people who were ill in Arthurian times had their own remedies, such as sleeping with a chicken or duck to keep them warm. Anyway, something big is going to happen in the next chapter. Stay tuned!  
**


	10. Episode 10

Episode 10: End of an Era

By the next morning, the Ducks and the two princesses gathered in the locker room. Pearl's fever went down a little, but she was still a little weak and drowsy.

"You should get some more rest," Wildwing said to his sweetheart.

"I refuse to miss any of your games and tonight, I don't want to miss it," Pearl replied.

"And for one thing, Howel might take her if she is down in the bed and we're up here," Subria pointed out and the Ducks nodded.

"Ducks, I have something to tell you," Pearl said and everyone stared at her. "The thing is, I can't sense any more spells here in Anaheim. I have a feeling that some may have stayed in Avalon in the past," Pearl explained and continues, "I must ask you this; are you willing to go back to the past with me?"

"I am," Wildwing said.

"So am I," Canard added in.

"Me too," Nosedive replied.

"Count me in," Tanya said.

"And me," Mallory added.

"And don't forget us," said Duke and placed an arm around Subria.

"As a warrior," Grin said in his meditated way, "I will also join the struggle."

"Okay Grin," Nosedive replied, "Your meditation ways are starting to bum me out."

Pearl gave a nod and smiled, but then, she sat down on the bench. Wildwing and Tanya came to her side and Tanya checked Pearl's vitals. "I'm alright, just tired," the princess said.

"You should lay down just for a while. Subria, can you watch her?" Wildwing asked the African warrior princess and Subria nods and takes her friend down to the headquarters.

The Ducks went on the ice for practice as tonight was their game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Wildwing did his best in focusing on the practice, but his mind wandered away as he was concerned for Pearl's condition.

"C'mon Wing," he said to himself, "Pearl is fine, Subria is a strong warrior, she'll protect her."

Just then, Nosedive took a swing at the puck and it flew towards his older brother. Wildwing saw it coming and was able to hit it away from the net, but he hit it a little too hard and the puck slid across the ice.

"Hey Wing," Canard said as he skated up to his friend, "Are you alright?"

"I'm trying my best in not concentrating on Pearl, but with her being sick and with Howel, he is due to attack us any time today, maybe tonight," Wildwing answered, rubbing his temple.

Canard placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder, "We are ready for any attack, we always are. Plus, I would think Howel would reconsider in attacking our stadium as I have a hunch that he is a bit soft towards Pearl," he said and leans his head in towards Wildwing's ear, "And for the record, I'm glad that we have Pearl, otherwise I would've been stuck in Dimensional Limbo for eternity I bet."

"I don't know about eternity, but...I don't know," the leader replied and they shared a chuckle and went back to practice.

Down in her room, Pearl slept in the bed, while Subria, like a true bodyguard, kept watch for anything suspicious.

()()()()()()()()

In the dark cabin in the woods, Howel made sure that everything was ready for tonight. "We only have one shot, if we fail, I'm taking it out on you three," he said to his three henchmen.

"Everything will go according to plan, sir," Morholt said to his master, "Once you have the princess and the spell book, you'll be invincible. Not even those pesky Ducks can stop you."

"If I wasn't so soft toward Pearl during the passed two days, I would've taken her and the book, but of course, I want to give the Ducks a good show that they'll never forget," Howel replied and held up a hand. In his palm, a ball of fire formed and it swirled around in the air.

"Now Wildwing," he said, "How far will you go in getting back someone you love?" Howel asked the question and he gave an evil chuckle.

()()()()()()()()()

Evening came and it was game time at the Arrowhead Pond Hockey Stadium. A huge crowd had turned up and every seat had been filled with faithful Duck fans and for those who were loyal to the Carolina Hurricanes.

At the Ducks' bench, Pearl and Subria took a seat with Phil as they watched. "Are you sure you want to be up here?" Phil asked his niece, Pearl. "I mean, I think you'll get sick even more if you don't get enough sleep."

"I'm fine Uncle Philip, besides I wouldn't miss this game for anything else in the world," Pearl replied and Phil ruffled the top of her head.

The Ducks were leading the game with 2 to 1 and they were eager to score another point. Right now, Duke had the puck and he passed it to Mallory. Grin and Canard protected their comrades from the Hurricanes' wringers and defense.

"Go Mallory!" Nosedive shouted, but the celebration was cut short when a wringer stole the puck and he headed toward Wildwing. The leader took a deep breath and waited for the right moment.

The Hurricane wringer passed the puck to another and he took a swing. The puck went flying, but Wildwing hit it away, making it a perfect save. Nosedive picked up the pace with the puck.

The young drake passed the puck to Mallory, who passed it to Tanya. She then did a mental calculation and took a hard swing with her stick and the puck flew into the Hurricanes' goal net, scoring another point.

"GOAL FOR THE DUCKS!" the announcer shouted and the Duck fans cheered.

Suddenly, the lights went out and the ground rumbled for a minute. People cried out in terror and the Ducks looked around, wondering if it was an earthquake or something else.

Just then, someone appeared in the middle of the ice, it was Howel. "Well now Ducks, didn't I say that something will happen in a fortnight? And that I would take something valuable to one of you?" he asked and featured an evil grin.

"You haven't taken it yet!" Wildwing shouted, pointing a finger at the dark wizard.

"True, because I have yet to do this," Howel answered and a fire ball formed in his palm.

"Do you really think you can burn this place down?" Nosedive asked.

"Why don't we find out?!" Howel replied and shot the fire ball toward the score board. The fire ball hit the score board with such force that it fell toward the ice and it crashed.

Electrical wires crackled and fire balls flew out from the ceiling and the seats caught fire.

"You had to ask!" Mallory shouted at Nosedive.

"There's no time to argue, we have to get these people out of here!" Wildwing ordered and the Ducks changed into their battle gear and hurried to assist the crowd.

"Single file! Please, stay calm!" some of the Ducks commanded the people as they led them outside.

Pearl, Subria, and Phil were behind the crowd, but Pearl kept turning her head around, checking to see if Wildwing was anywhere in sight. The white drake decided to check the other side of the stadium for anymore people.

Pearl decided to go back, but Phil calls out, "Pearl, come back!" Then, a ceiling beam crashed down in front of him and he had no choice to go out and he had to pull Subria away from the fire.

"Wildwing!" Pearl called out, but the fire roared and the heat was intense. She felt the sweat trickle down her forehead and she was getting dizzy from the heat.

"Princess," a voice said and Pearl looked up to see a dark figure and its hands reached for her.

Wildwing saw that no one was in the arena, not even his comrades. He went on his com, but it crackled with static, and he was unable to reach any of the Ducks.

The whole stadium was now engulfed in flames and he had to get out, but Wildwing was not sure if Pearl made it out.

Just then, a familiar voice was heard and it sang a familiar tune.

_**Wildwing, Wildwing,**_

_**Fly away home,**_

_**Your house is on fire,**_

_**And your friends are all gone,**_

_**All except one,**_

_**Dear sweet Prywden,**_

_**And she hid under Howel's arms.**_

"Show yourself!" Wildwing shouted above the roaring fire.

Then, the dark wizard appeared, floating above the white drake. Wildwing took aim at Howel, but he held up a finger. "Haven't you been paying attention?" he asked, "I did say 'Dear sweet Prywden and she hid under Howel's arms'."

He then revealed the princess under his robe. Pearl looked out cold as she seemed not to be responding to Howel's touch.

"Let her go!" Wildwing demanded, but Howel just laughed.

"You really do love her, don't you?" the dark wizard asked and Wildwing's face showed nothing, but anger, yet he was worried for Pearl. "Let me ask you this; how far are you willing to go to get back someone you love?"

"A die for," the white drake answered.

"How about you die trying?" Howel replied and laughed, again. Pearl than awoke, but she still felt dizzy. However, she was able to notice that she was hovering above Wildwing, her boyfriend and that's when she noticed that Howel was holding her.

Pearl opened her jaw wide and bit hard on Howel's hand. He wailed in pain, loosing his grip on Pearl and she began to fall to the ground. Wildwing ran up and jumped to catch his beloved and they landed on the ice.

"Oh, you stupid girl!" Howel shouted, holding his bitten hand. "If it wasn't for me, you would not have captured those two spells!" he added, but Pearl angrily stared at him.

"If you weren't so soft on me, you would have had me and the spell book already!" she shouted back and revealed the Book of Avalon that she had under shirt.

"I have had enough of your nonsense! One day, one day, I will take you and you will love me!" Howel yelled back.

"You can't win her love by making her your prisoner!" Wildwing shouted and he pulled Pearl away, just as a ceiling beam crashed on the ice.

Howel decided to leave, despite that his agenda was not fully complete, but he had to wait once more.

Wildwing and Pearl coughed and chocked on the smoke as they made their way through the flames. Wildwing used the mask to see a path to the outside more clearly.

Just then, Pearl, unable to take more of the heat, fainted in Wildwing's arms. "Pearl! Wake up!" he commanded, but it was no use and he carried both the princess and the book in his arms towards the exit.

Outside at the parking lot, firefighters used hoses to water down the flames, while the civilians were checked by paramedics or were looking for missing loved ones.

The Ducks, Subria, and Phil looked around, but they could not locate Wildwing or Pearl. "I haven't seen any of them!" Duke said to his comrades when they gathered.

Subria then gave a look of shock, "What if they're still inside?!" she exclaimed and wanted to go back in, but Duke held her back.

"There, look!" Canard shouted, pointing to a shape at the entrance. It was Wildwing and he was on the verge of collapse from exhaustion, but he pushed himself to carry Pearl to safety. The other Ducks hurried to their aid, just as they heard a noise.

"Hurry, it's ready to come down!" Nosedive exclaimed, taking one side of Wildwing and Canard on the other. Subria took Pearl onto her back and Tanya took the book and they carried their friends away.

Suddenly, the front end of the roof came crashing down, but the Ducks were able to move away in time. Pearl and Wildwing chocked on the smoke they inhaled and paramedics came in with oxygen.

"Bro, are you okay?!" Nosedive asked Wildwing, but the leader assured his young brother that he was fine. He then stood up and stared at the flaming wreckage of what once was the Mighty Ducks' stadium. The other Ducks, the two princesses, and Phil also looked on in horror as the stadium burned to the ground.

()()()()()()()()

Back at the cabin, Howel screamed in rage at his own failure in capturing the princess and the spell book.

"I was so close!" he yelled and his henchmen coward in fear, but Morholt decided to brave himself in trying to calm his master down.

"Sir, I think it's best-" BAM! Howel punched Morholt hard in the face that the henchman fell on his back.

"Remember this," Howel said to them, "I am willing to risk your lives and my life to get what I want. Is this in any way unclear to you three?"

The three brothers shake their head hastily and Howel went to take a seat, while Ozanna and Teihti attended to Morholt's injuries.

Howel was thinking of what Wildwing had said to him, _"You can't win her love by making her your prisoner!" _Howel was deeply disturbed by what the drake had told him. The dark wizard did not want to make the princess his prisoner, but he wanted her so badly that he would do anything to take her.

()()()()()()()

The morning light shone on what remained of the Arrowhead Pond Hockey Stadium. It was nothing, but twisted or melted metal. The Ducks' headquarters was also destroyed, not just from the fire, but from the water from the firemen's hoses.

Drake 1's screen was cracked and it exposed some wires. The stainless steel floors were flooded and the Ducks' private rooms were badly damaged from both the water and fire.

Captain Kelghorn had come to give any support to the Ducks. "I'm very sorry, Ducks. I never thought a fire would take down a place like this," he said.

"Wait until I get my hands on that Howel!" Mallory shouted, "I'm going to rip every hair fiber he has!"

"Calm down Mal," Nosedive said, holding down her arms.

"Sorry, I'm just so angry that everything we had here is gone," she replied.

"Everyone listen," Wildwing said to his comrades, "The one thing we should be grateful for is that we made it our alive."

The others nodded, but not Phil. "What am I going to do?! With no stadium, I'm not making money! And if with no money-" "Uncle Philip!" Pearl shouted and the obese manager hushed, but the princess coughed.

Wildwing came to Pearl's side, "I'm fine," she said and looks at her friends, "Now, it looks like we have a good excuse to go to Avalon."

"I agree," Wildwing replied, "We're going to need a lot of help. Do you think your people would offer?" he asked.

"I don't know, but we must try," Pearl said, "Let's use the Aero-Wing, I don't know if I will have the strength to use the 'Time' spell," she added.

The ice arena's floor opened up and the Aero-Wing revealed itself. The plane had miraculously escaped from any damage.

"I'm coming, too!" Phil said, "I've always wanted to join a fight!"

"Captain Kelghorn," Wildwing said to his human friend, "Can we trust you in looking after Anaheim while we are away?"

"As I am an officer of law, I will certain protect this city in your absence," Kelghorn replied and saluted.

The Ducks, their manager, and the two princesses got into the Aero-Wing and the platform raised up. The plane than fired up and it went up into the sky, heading east.

"Good luck Ducks," Kelghorn said as the Aero-Wing vanished from sight and everything goes black.

* * *

**From the author: With the Pond destroyed, what will this mean for the Ducks for they don't have their headquarters? You will have to find out for yourself later!  
**


	11. Episode 11

Episode 11: Back to the Past

In the Aero-Wing, the Ducks were at the controls, while Subria and Phil kept watch on Pearl as she was resting.

"We'll be reaching England in about 15 minutes," Wildwing said to everyone.

Nosedive checked the coordinates for Avalon, but the computer kept coming up with 'Glastonbury'. "Now what does Glastonbury got to do with anything?" he asked.

"According to Arthurian literature, Avalon became associated with Glastonbury as it is said that King Arthur and his queen's tombs are there," Tanya answered for him.

"That is true," Subria said, "In the future, Avalon changed its name to Glastonbury. I suspect that the kingdom wanted to fool any of our enemies into thinking that Avalon does not exist."

"Now when we get to Avalon, I'm going to get my hands on that gold!" Phil exclaimed.

"Phil, what gave you the impression that Avalon has any gold?" Canard asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"Actually, Avalon is rich with gold," Subria replied and that made Phil's eyes dazzle.

"Do you want to make a bad first impression when we get there?" Mallory asked, but her manager didn't seem to listen. Wildwing went to the back and kneeled beside his girlfriend, who was in deep sleep.

"Once we make it to Avalon, we're going to show that Howel whose boss," he said to her and gently rubbed her cheek and kissed it, "I love you, Pearl," he whispered.

Pearl seemed to hear that as a smile formed on her face. Wildwing went back to the controls and calls, "I see the coast!"

Subria joined them at the front and tells them, "Once we get to Glastonbury, I'll point out where you can land and safely hide the Aero-Wing."

"Hide it?" Duke asked, "We can't take this to Avalon?"

"I'm afraid not, I hate to say this, but all of you will need to blend into Avalon culture. That means no technology," Subria replied and the Ducks and Phil gasped.

"Then, I can't use my phone?" Phil asked, holding up his cell and Subria shook her head.

"Listen everyone," Wildwing said to his team, "It is probably for the best, we need to know how to use combat against Howel."

"And you will need a change of clothes, you can't walk around in your armor while you're in Avalon," Subria added and some of the Ducks groaned.

After a few minutes, the Aero-Wing reached Glastonbury and Subria pointed to a piece of forest and the Ducks flew down. It landed in a clearing in the forest and Subria checked for anyone outside.

"We're good," she said and at that moment, Pearl woke up.

"How long was I out?" she asked Wildwing.

"A couple of hours, but you needed the rest. Anyway, we're in Glastonbury, England," he replied and Pearl's face lit up. She stepped out of the plane and stared up at the tree-line, whirling around in circles.

Memories filled her head, she remembered this forest as it was her secret place and it seemed that nothing changed since the last time she was here.

Then, Pearl placed a hand on her forehead as the veins were pumping hard and she felt out of breath. "Pearl, are you all right?" Wildwing asked, coming to her side.

Tanya checked her temperature, "101.9, this fever is a figh...figh...it likes to put up a fight," the science wiz Duck stuttered.

"The sooner we get her to Avalon, the sooner she will get well in her natural home," Phil said.

"But how are we going to hide the Aero-Wing?" Nosedive asked, but Tanya gave a gasp as if she thought of something.

"Pearl, mind if I use the book for just a second?" she asked the princess and Pearl hands over the spell book to her. Tanya turned to the 'Wood' page and calls out, "'Wood', please help us in camouflaging our aircraft!"

The 'Wood' obeyed by having the vines and tree saplings surround the Aero-Wing. With it camouflaged, anyone would not suspect that anything was there.

"Nice work, Tanya," Canard commented and Tanya blushed.

"This way, Ducks," Subria said and led them to another clearing with some stones. On the stones were runes and the stones were actually in a circle, wide enough for everyone to step in.

"This is the portal Pearl and I used to come here in the future," Subria explained, "Step into the circle and I will chant the spell for the portal."

The Ducks stepped into the circle, so did Pearl, Phil, and Subria. Then, Subria began to chant something that the Ducks did not understand, although they were certain that it was an ancient Arthurian language.

Then, the runes on the stones began to glow and a protective shield appeared around them. However, the light faded and so did the shield.

"What's wrong?" Duke asked Subria.

"The spell is a little weak, it needs another person to speak the spell, but Pearl and I are the only ones who know," she pointed out.

Pearl knew that in her delicate condition, the spell would drain the energy out of her, but she had to do it. "Don't worry about me, we need to get to Avalon," the princess persuaded them.

Both princesses began to chant the spell, again, and the runes glowed, again, and the shield appeared as well. The Ducks noticed that the sky was flashing from dark to light, but the forest seemed to not change.

Pearl felt her energy draining, but she had to keep going and continued to chant until she reached the exact point in time.

Both Subria and Pearl stopped chanting the spell and the Ducks noticed that the stones had no vines or debris surrounding them. Just then, Pearl collapsed to the ground.

"Pearl!" Wildwing exclaimed, taking her into his arms. She breathed heavily and sweat trickled down her forehead.

"Did we make it?" Mallory asked and Subria was about to check around, when they heard the ruffling of bushes. The Ducks prepared for a fight against whoever was in the brush.

"Don't use your weapons!" a female voice called out and some humans in ancient clothing stepped out and a woman in a medieval dress and a crown revealed herself.

"Queen Gwenever," Subria said and kneeled before her and the Ducks and Phil followed suit. "How did you know that we would be here?" Subria asked the queen.

"I had a reoccurring dream for the pass few nights and I suspected that it was a sign and indeed it was," Gwenever replied, but then noticed her ill daughter, "Prywden!" she exclaimed, coming to her side.

"She's been sick for a while," Phil said and Gwenever noticed him.

"Philip Palmfeather, it's good to see you, again," the queen replied and turns to Wildwing. "Can you carry her to the castle?" she asked.

"I will," he answered and he carried Pearl in his arms and Gwenever and the other Avalonians led the Ducks through the woods and out to where the village and castle were.

"Wow, talk about a change in scenery," Nosedive said, but Mallory elbowed him.

The castle seemed to be in good repair since the last time the Ducks and the two princesses were there. Gwenever led Wildwing to a room, where there were some nurses and the royal doctor.

Pearl was given some tea and fresh ground herbs to feed on. "Once she is finished with those, all that she needs is rest," the doctor said. Gwenever then led Wildwing, who still had Pearl in his arms, up to her room.

The leader Duck almost gasped when he saw Pearl's room. There was a canopy bed with red and gold drapes and sheets, a fireplace decorated with metal art stood at the west wall, and a wooden loom stood at the far end of the room.

Wildwing placed the sick princess on the bed and she thanked him and fell asleep, again. Gwenever had Subria keep guard over Pearl, while the Ducks and Phil were taken in by the castle's staff.

They were washed and given new clothes. "We should've just left these in the Aero-Wing," Duke said as he looked at his battle-wear and it was taken for safe-keeping, but kept his saber.

The Ducks wore new cotton shirts with different colored vests, with light colored pants, and tight-knit cotton footwear. Mallory and Tanya refused to wear the dresses that were offered as they preferred the man's wear.

"Man, I look good," Nosedive commented when he saw his reflection.

"Ducks," Gwenever said and they bowed their heads to her, "My husband, the king wishes to see you."

They were led to the throne room, it was decorated with banners on the walls and they swayed in the wind. The king was not sitting at his throne, but instead, he was staring out the window, observing the people outside.

"Your Majesty," the queen said to her husband and the king turned around. He was a middle-aged man with a brown hair and beard, but there were specks of gray and he had brown eyes, Pearl's eyes.

"Ducks, we meet, again," the king said and they bowed to him. "I can't thank you enough for bringing my daughter back here, especially in the state she is in. Subria told me what had happened in your time and I am dreadfully sorry for the loss of your...headquarters you call it?" he asked and the Ducks nodded.

Phil entered in, having gotten into an extra large cotton shirt, vest, pants, and boots. "Ah, Philip Palmfeather," the king said to the obese man, "I would like to thank you for taking care of my daughter."

"No trouble at all," Phil replied, although the Ducks were sure that he wanted to find the gold treasure.

"Ducks, I want to inform you that my knights and many others of Avalon are willing to take arms against Howel, but I suspect that he will release his brother, Louran from the underworld," the king informed them.

"Great, we're going to have to deal with that lunatic, again," Mallory groaned, bitterly.

"Don't feel let down, Lady McMallard," the king said and Mallory couldn't help, but blush, "Avalon is willing to help you and I am sure that you wish to be trained in combat, horsemanship, and weapon making."

"Yes Your Majesty, we wish to be trained in the rules of your culture," Wildwing replied and bowed his head to the king.

Queen Gwenever steps forward and says, "You are more than welcome to stay here in the castle, you'll have your own rooms, but I wish for you take nightly guard duties for Prywden."

The Ducks nodded and thanked the king and queen for their hospitality. "As soon as Prywden is well, she will be your teacher, along with Subria," the king informed them and they were allowed to leave.

Some of the Ducks explored the castle and the grounds, intervening with some of the activities the staff of the castle were doing. The staff was curious of the alien Ducks and allowed them to part-take in some of the chores.

Wildwing went back to Pearl's room and watched her as she rested in her bed. She moaned a little and opened her eyes, seeing Wildwing in front of her. "Wildwing, am I home in Avalon? Or is it a dream?" she asked him.

"No, it's not a dream, we're really in Avalon," he assured his sweetheart and they shared a hug.

"Wait a minute, look at this," Pearl said, revealing a new page in the spell book, the 'Dream'. The spell page featured a woman that appeared to be wearing a headdress that covered her eyes.

"Where did you get that?" Wildwing asked.

"I awoke from a dream and I saw it in front of me," she replied and he kissed her cheek.

"You should get some more rest, you'll be better in no time," Wildwing said and Pearl went back to sleep. Wildwing placed the blanket on top of her body and leans his head down beside her and he, too went to sleep.

* * *

**From the author: You're probably wondering how the Ducks will adapt to Avalon and its society, but most importantly, will they succeeded in their training in the rules of combat, horsemanship, and weapon making? Find out later!  
**


	12. Episode 12

Episode 12: Challenge of the Maze

Evening came and the people of Avalon were turning in for the night. In the castle's dining hall, the royal family and the nobility were waiting for the arrival of their princess and the newcomers.

Pearl had recovered miraculously, her fever had broken, and she felt well rested. She had changed into a purple medieval dress with a gold belt and her hair and the top of her head had been wrapped in a head scarf. A gold cornet rested at the top of her head.

Of course, she had to get use to wearing a corset, again and be able to move in the dress that was so tight. Pearl was not the only one who had to go through with it.

Mallory and Tanya were also wearing corsets with medieval nobility dresses and had their hair covered with a head scarf.

"How do you move in these things?" Mallory asked, feeling really irritated as she was unable to move freely.

"Don't worry, tomorrow you'll be wearing some more comfortable clothes," Pearl answered.

Subria, however, wore a gazelle skinned short dress with a leopard skin that crossed over her chest and reed-leather sandals.

"You're lucky that you're not part of Avalon royalty," Tanya sighed as she struggled to keep her hair down and wrap it in a scarf.

The male Ducks and Phil wore clothes that were far better then the women. They wore breeches with boots and shirts with leather strips on the chest and corset-like vests to wear over the shirts. Wildwing had the mask in a pouch.

"I actually look like a hunk in this," Nosedive commented when he viewed himself in the mirror.

"A hunk? You kid?" Duke asked.

"Let's not compare each other, we need to impress the nobility and the king and queen," Wildwing informed the two, "And let's not embarrass Pearl," he added.

They were led out of the room and joined with the women outside of the dining hall. Wildwing almost fainted when he saw his sweetheart, Pearl in her princess outfit.

She checked everyone over and orders them, "Backs straight, eyes forward, stomachs in, and chests out."

The Ducks obeyed, but they had to hold back laughs as Phil was struggling to hold in his enormous stomach.

Then the doors opened and the royal announcer calls out, "Her Royal Highness's bodyguard, Warrior Princess Subria of the Ndola tribe."

Subria entered in, featuring a serious face and walked up to the king and queen's table and bowed to them.

"Presenting," the announcer said, "The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim."

"Wildwing, you first, then Nosedive, Canard, Duke, Grin, Mallory, and Tanya," Pearl advised as she lined them up and they entered one by one.

"Master Wildwing Flashblade," the announcer called and continues, "Master Nosedive Flashblade. Master Canard Thunderbeak. Master Duke L'Orange. Master Check Hardwing. Mistress Mallory McMallard. And Mistress Tanya Valnderflock."

The entire hall stared at the Ducks, curious and amazed by these new and unusual strangers. They were shown to some seats, close to the royal couple. The announcer calls out, "Presenting, Sir Philip Palmfeather." The obese man came in and he was sent to one seat. The announcer spoke one last name, "Presenting, Her Royal Highness, Princess Prywden."

The princess came in with every elegant step and came to the center of the room, where she curtsied to her parents and everyone bowed to her. She took a seat between Wildwing and her father.

The feast was in full swing, with glasses filled to the brim with wine, roasted wild game was brought out, and vegetables came and filled the plates. In the center of the room, performers played a routine with dances.

The Ducks obeyed their leader by following the ways of the nobility of how they ate and with some help from Pearl and Subria. Phil, on the other hand, ate like a greedy pig and he did not act like a noble gentleman.

"It seems that your brother has failed to show-up, again," the king said to his wife.

"It is his natural habit, working at all hours of the day," Queen Gwenever replied.

Pearl explains to the Ducks, "It is my uncle, Cynfarch, he is a knight and he takes his duties seriously, even working at late hours of the night."

"Wait," Nosedive said, "If he is your mom's brother and she's the queen, shouldn't he be a prince?"

"He was a prince, but my grandfather saw him as a little "off" in the head as Uncle Cynfarch has this obsession with horses, wearing armor, and shutting orders. My grandfather said he was not fit for a king and passed the throne to my mother," Pearl explained and continues, "You have to be careful around him, he suffers from...hubris. He is proud of his roots, but he is always arrogant when it comes to women as he views them as inferior to men."

"Sounds like he would not be a good king with an attitude like that," Wildwing said and Pearl nods.

The dinner quickly finished and it was a good thing, too, as Phil was embarrassing the team and Pearl. "Honesty Phil, these people will think you're a lunatic with those so-called manners," Mallory pointed out, but the obese manager ignored her.

Pearl, Tanya, and Mallory were allowed to remove the dresses and corsets and were given cotton nightgowns. "Finally, I thought I was going to suffocate in that thing," Tanya said, breathing in and filling her lungs.

The Ducks retreated into their new rooms, except for Wildwing, who went into Pearl's. "You weren't seen were you?" she asked in a whisper.

"No," he replied.

"Good, because everyone feeds all kinds of gossip throughout the castle and if my father heard that you came in here, he would have a fit," Pearl said and Wildwing understood why.

"There is no such thing as a relationship here," he replied, but Pearl shook her head.

"Usually, royal children were betrothed, but my parents decided to overturn it when I was sent to the future, giving me freewill. However, I suspect that the court didn't take it lightly," she explained and then, there was a knock at the door.

Pearl opened it, revealing the other Ducks and Subria, and she allowed them to come in. "We figured we keep guard here while you sleep," Nosedive said.

"That's nice of you, but I am fine with just Wildwing here," Pearl pointed out, but the Ducks and Subria shook their heads.

"Let's just say we're not taking chances," Grin informed her.

Pearl ordered a few servants bring in extra blankets, informing them that it was very cold in her, but did not reveal her nighttime bodyguards.

"Whatever you do, don't make a sound," the princess ordered the Ducks and they didn't make a peep when the servants returned with the blankets.

When they left, the Ducks let out a breath. They laid out the blankets on the floor and the Ducks laid on them and had the extras over them.

Wildwing, however, slept with Pearl in her bed. Subria took first watch. "There is no need for a night watch, I'm sure Howel doesn't have any sources in raiding the castle," Pearl said to her friend.

"It's my habit, I'm not taking chances," the African warrior princess replied.

Pearl than tells the Ducks, "Starting tomorrow, all of you will start training in combat and horsemanship. However, the real test is choosing a horse as your companion, but the horse must choose you, which I explain a little later."

In a short while, everyone fell asleep, even Subria as she realized that there was no danger, and they were eager to begin a new day in Avalon.

()()()()()()()()()()()

By dawn, the two princesses and the Ducks were awakened by the shouts coming from outside. Nosedive took a peek out the window and saw men in armor, doing a march.

"Oh no," Subria groaned, "Pearl, your uncle is doing the dog-patrol, again!"

"The knights! I forgot about them! C'mon, you need to see this," Pearl said to the Ducks and they got into their casual Avalon clothes, which included pants for Mallory, Tanya, and Pearl.

The Ducks followed Pearl down the steps and they went outside in the square and watched the knights do their routine and being ordered by a knight with a gray beard and mustache.

"That's my uncle, Sir Cynfarch," Pearl pointed to him and he kept shouting orders at the other knights.

As they marched passed the Ducks, a young boy, not wearing armor was following behind the knights. He had dirty blonde hair, hazel green eyes, and had a nice tan to his skin. Nosedive and Mallory were curious and decided to join in.

"Hello, what are you doing?" Nosedive asked the boy.

"Keep it down, it's a drill," the boy replied.

"Mind if we join in?" Mallory asked and the boy shook his head with a smile.

"Just do what we're doing," the boy said, "By the way, my name's Alexander," he added.

"I'm Nosedive and this is Mallory, she's like a knight," the young drake said. Both of them joined in line, but Mallory had straighten Nosedive out. The other Ducks and Pearl tried to hold back their laughter, as they found this amusing.

"Be like a soldier," she said, featuring her best.

"Halt!" the head knight, Cynfarch called and everyone stopped.

"Left face!" he yelled out, again and he began to inspect the knights. Cynfarch shared his criticism and the knights would answer, "Yes sir!"

"He's getting close to Mallory and Nosedive," Pearl whispered to the others and she made it sound like it was a bad thing.

Cynfarch finished with Alexander, but told him to put his heels together. "Yes father...I mean, sir," the boy answered.

"He's your cousin?" Canard asked Pearl, who nodded.

Then, Cynfarch stood in front of Mallory, who was impressed by her stature, but then noticed something unusual. "What's the matter with your nose?" he asked, tapping at it.

"Hey stop that!" Mallory replied, annoyed by the tapping at her beak. That's when Cynfarch realized that there was a female in the rinks! And a female alien Duck!

"A woman?!" he exclaimed, "What the devil is a woman doing here?!" he demanded.

"Uncle!" Pearl shouted and ran up to him.

The knights bowed to the princess, who spoke to her uncle, "I can explain, Mallory McMallard here is a soldier and she wanted to experience what it is like to be a knight."

"A female soldier?! How the devil did a female become a soldier?! They don't have the back-bone to fight in combat!" Cynfarch shouted at the princess, who didn't flinch.

"Uncle, she is from a different world where women have the freedom to do anything, even joining the military. And I have to tell you, she is a good soldier, in fact, she might impress you with her skills. So, I wish for you to show her a little respect," Pearl said, but her uncle did not take it lightly.

"Show this freak of nature respect?! Ha! I would rather feed this one to the dogs and you'll see if I care!" Cynfarch shouted and that shocked everyone, including the Ducks.

"Cynfarch!" a mighty male voice shouted and he turned to see the king. Everyone bowed in heist, but the king stared at Cynfarch, and he looked very angry.

"Apologize to Lady McMallard immediately!" the king ordered the proud knight.

Cynfarch, however, did not utter a peep and the king grew irritated. "If you don't apologize to her, including the other women here, including my daughter, I will strip you of your knightly title and banish you!" the king shouted, but Cynfarch didn't flinch.

"You have until sundown and if I hear that you had not apologize, I will carry out the punishment set for you," the king said to Cynfarch and they parted ways. The knight stared at Mallory and Pearl with a glare, but didn't say a word.

"Let's go," the princess said to her friends and they left the square.

()()()()()()()()()()

"What a horrible, no, I mean terrible human!" Tanya exclaimed to the others. The Ducks and the two princesses were near the ruins of a chapel or church.

"I did warn you that my uncle is a very proud man, he despises women, even his own wife. I suspect he is still bitter about my grandfather picking my mother to take the throne. I am sorry you had to hear that, but I swear, he will apologize to every woman here, including you two and Subria and I, even if my father and I have to force him to do it," Pearl said to the Ducks, pointing to Tanya and Mallory.

Mallory, however, had been hit hard by the arrogance of Cynfarch and tried her best to hold back tears. "Hey Mal, are you okay?" Nosedive asked, who noticed her glossy eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Mallory lied and quickly brushed away a tear.

"If you ask me, Cynfarch deserves to be banished," Duke said to them.

"I agree, I never show disrespect towards a woman who has fought long and hard for her planet or country, especially you Mallory," Wildwing said to her.

"Arrogance snuffs out the light in one and he becomes blind for all eternity," Grin said in his Zen tone.

"Thank you," Mallory replied and took a few deep breaths.

Just then, Pearl pressed her hands over her ears as a sharp pain coursed through her head. "Pearl, are you okay?! Is it another spell?" Wildwing asked.

It took a minute for the pain to subside and Pearl looks at her friends. "It is a spell and it's here in these ruins," she informed them.

Wildwing took out the mask and put it on. He checked to see if anything was amiss. "I don't see anything wrong," he said, but then, the mask alerted him. There was something outside and he went out of the ruins and noticed a wall structure that he never noticed before.

"Have any of you noticed this before?" Wildwing asked his team. They looked around and it was clear that they never noticed the structure before.

Pearl placed a hand on the wall and her eyes grew wide. "This is the 'Maze'," she informed them, "This was used to confuse any of our enemies and the only way to defeat it is to find your way out."

The Ducks stared at Pearl, wide-eyed. "Okay, I have been through mazes, and this should a...a...easy," Tanya said.

"Don't get your hopes up, this is a trickster spell. It has the mind of a jester, it is playful and sinister at the same time," Pearl replied.

"Alright team, I have an idea. We split into groups and if you make it to the exit, call out and we'll follow your voice," Wildwing ordered and made up the groups. Him with Pearl, Duke with Subria, Tanya with Canard, and Nosedive with Mallory and Grin.

"Here goes nothing," Duke said as he and Subria began their trek through the 'Maze'.

The groups split up, but they met with surprises and close-calls. Wildwing and Pearl almost fell through a hole, but the hole vanished when they stepped away from it. Duke and Subria came to a dead end and then, the walls were starting to close in on them, but they made it to safety.

Canard and Tanya saw an opening and ran for it, but the 'Maze' closed it up. Grin, Mallory, and Nosedive kept running into obstacles, such as boulders and thick bushes.

"Hello?!" someone shouted and everyone stopped in their tracks.

"You hear that?" Pearl asked Wildwing, who nodded. The others heard it, too, and they thought it was one of their team mates. The Ducks got on their coms and Wildwing asks, "Did any of you call for help?"

The others said they didn't. "Someone else must be in the 'Maze'," Pearl said, "Ducks, Subria, see if you can find him and call back."

"Anyone out there?" Nosedive shouted.

"Yes, I can hear you!" the person called out.

"Keep shouting, we'll find you!" Mallory replied and the person obeyed and shouted for the three of them.

To their surprise, they discovered Sir Cynfarch! "What are you doing here?" Nosedive asked, he was still bitter about Cynfrach speaking ill of Mallory.

"I was going to ask the same thing," the knight said. "What is this place?" he asked.

"It is a spell, the 'Maze', your niece said the only way to get out is to find the exit," Mallory explained, despite that she was still hurt by what he said earlier.

"You strange creatures don't know anything," Cynfarch said, "I believe that using force is another way to get out."

Mallory and Nosedive gave angry faces, but Grin says, "Force is not always the solution." Cynfarch ignored him and took out his sword.

"I think this is not going to end well," Nosedive said to his comrades. True to his word, Cynfarch took a hit at the wall, but the 'Maze' repelled the attack, and sent the knight flying. He landed hard on his back.

"Do you know the meaning of 'I told you so'?" Mallory asked, but that Cynfarch angry.

"Get away from me, you blasted female," he ordered.

"Hey, don't you dare talk to her like that," Nosedive demanded and the two went into a bricking match.

"That is quite enough! Grin ordered them and they hushed, "Now, let's show some respect and find a way out of this."

Mallory got on her com, "You guys are not going to believe this, but we found your Uncle Cynfarch, Pearl," she said.

"What?" Pearl asked, surprised, "Well, if he behaves, help him find a way out," the princess added.

The four of them resumed their trek through the 'Maze', but they did not speak to each other. It was taking a long time, but then Cynfarch noticed an opening, "Look there!" he shouted.

Then, the opening began to close. "Oh no you don't!" Mallory exclaimed and went into a mad dash towards it.

"Go Mallory!" Nosedive shouted his support for the black belt soldier. Never in Mallory's life had she run so fast and she made it through the opening.

"She did it!" Grin exclaimed and Cynfarch breathed a sigh of relief.

Just then, the walls of the 'Maze' began to disappear. "Pearl, Mallory defeated the maze!" Nosedive said in his com.

"Quick! Capture it!" Wildwing said to the princess, who pulled out the Book of Avalon.

"'Maze', I command you to return to the spell book from where you came!" Pearl ordered and the spell swirled around in the air and took residence in an empty page.

"Wow, I never thought we finish it!" Tanya exclaimed when everyone gathered around. Cynfarch steps forward and says to Mallory, Tanya, and Pearl, "I owe you an apology. I was wrong about the female gender, they are...unique in some way. You, Lady McMallard proved to be the best warrior there is."

Mallory blushed and replies, "Thank you for that."

()()()()()()()()()()()

The group returned to the castle, but Cynfarch gathered the women in the square, declaring his apology for his arrogance and his pride. The king nodded in acceptance and invited his brother-in-law for dinner that night.

"Do we really have to wear those silly dresses, again?" Tanya asked and the king heard this.

"I'll make an exception for the two of you and, if my daughter wishes, I can grant the exception to her, too," the king answered. Pearl nods as she was eager to wear more freely, instead of strictly following the dress code.

The evening passed by rather peacefully, but Pearl reminded her friends a little later that their training was to begin the very next day.

* * *

**From the author: So sorry for not updating! I've been busy with school and with my other stories, plus I was suffering from writer's block with this! There's more to come! Stay tuned!  
**


	13. Episode 13

Episode 13: Duck Days of Training

The next morning came and the Ducks arose at first light, along with the two princesses, but Nosedive had to be pushed and pulled out of bed.

"Good morning Ducks," Pearl said to her friends and adds, "Before we start on your training, there is something I want to show you." She then held out what looked like a saddle and bridle. "But first, Wildwing, can you hold these for me?" she asked and the white drake nods and takes them.

Pearl led the way and they went into a dense forest and Pearl stopped. "Don't make a sound, just listen," she whispered.

They stood there, silent, but they didn't hear anything. "Uh, what is the point-" "Shh! Hear that?!" Mallory said to Nosedive. Then, the Ducks began to hear some rattling and clicking noises throughout the forest.

"What is that?" Canard asked Pearl.

"Just be patient, you'll see one of them," she answered and they waited and listened.

"Yikes!" Nosedive exclaimed when he looked down and everyone turned around to see a tiny creature that looked almost like a bobble-head. It rotated its head and it made the rattling noise.

"What is that?" Tanya asked.

"Espírito neno, or child spirit, my father said that these are the ghosts of little children who got lost and died in the forest. They lead any lost traveler through these woods to their destination," Pearl explained and more of the little ghosts appeared.

"Why is it making that noise?" Wildwing asked.

"I believe it's their way of communicating," the princess answered and walks up to one of the little ghosts and says, "Could you please help us getting through these woods?"

The little spirit pointed into the direction of a path and lead them to it. During the walk, more and more of the espírito neno appeared and played mischievously around the Ducks.

"Awe, how cute," Tanya said, staring down at the ghosts. Nosedive on the other hand, was freaked out by the little spirits, as he was terrified of ghosts.

"Oh for crying out loud Dive, they won't hurt you," Mallory said to him, but he didn't seem to hear her.

"Look there," Wildwing said, pointing to the end of the path that lead out of the forest.

"Finally!" Nosedive exclaimed and ran off towards it.

"Little friend, you need to face your fears sooner or later," Grin said, but Nosedive ignored him.

The two princesses and the the Ducks thanked the little ghosts and they rattled in response and disappeared. Pearl led her friends out of the woods to a meadow.

"What is this place?" Duke asked, but Subria pointed to the meadow. Then, Pearl whistled and the Ducks heard the rumbling of hooves heading straight for them.

Just then, a chestnut-coat horse came running up to them and stopped in front of Pearl, with a whinny. "Clarine," Pearl said to the mare and the horse stood still.

"Is she your companion?" Wildwing asked and Pearl nods. "She's beautiful," he added and Clarine stomps on her hoof.

"Listen very carefully," she said to the Ducks, "When the time comes to fight Howel, you'll need a horse, not just for transport, but to protect you and help you fight."

Pearl then takes the saddle and bridle from Wildwing and began to saddle up Clarine. "Once you are finished with your training, you will choose a horse to be your companion, but he must choose you first," the princess said to them.

"When will we choose our companion?" Wildwing asked, again.

"When all of you are ready," Pearl answered and hoists herself onto Clarine and she rides off. The Ducks watched as Pearl rode on Clarine, jumping on obstacles and galloping as fast as she could.

When Pearl was finished with Clarine, she took off the saddle and bridle, and allowed the horse to run back to the herd.

Pearl led them through the woods, again, and they came upon a clearing. There were weapons, mainly bows and arrows and swords.

"You will be trained on all of these, but there will also be hunting and scavenging, I will show you how," Pearl said to them and the Ducks took a weapon.

Wildwing, Canard, Mallory, and Tanya took bows and arrows, while Nosedive, Duke, and Grin took the swords. Subria taught using the sword and Pearl taught the others with bows and arrows.

Pearl had to straighten her students in how to properly shoot an arrow and Subria had to remind Nosedive that the sword was not a toy.

Wildwing had shot a few arrows with good results, but none hit the target. He took aim and shot the arrow, but then, something stood in the way of the target, and Wildwing let out a gasp.

However, the person grabbed the arrow before it hit the horse. Wildwing and the others looked at the stranger; he was tall with a lot of muscle on his arms and chest. He had dirty blonde hair and amber eyes.

"So, these are the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, are they not, my sweet princess," the stranger said to Pearl.

"For the last time, Owain, stop calling me that," the princess replied.

"They should leave, I can take care of that Howel for you, Prydwen," the man, Owain said to her.

"Please, leave us to our training," she ordered and the man rode away.

"Who was that?" Duke asked.

"That is Sir Owain, one of my father's knights. He and I grew up together and he has this belief that I will marry him one day, but I don't think so," Pearl explained and that made Wildwing feel irritated.

"I suspect he wants to marry you for the title and wealth," he said to her.

"That is partially true, but he does care about me," Pearl replied, but Wildwing sensed that Owain did not care about Pearl as much as he did.

"Alright, try again," Pearl ordered the archers and they continued with their training.

()()()()()()()()()()()

Days had passed and the Ducks' training was getting harder as they went through teachings of hand combat, weapon making, archery, and even medical assistance.

It took time for the Ducks to get the hang of it, but they passed with flying colors. However, the last subject was hunting, but in a proper way.

"We don't kill just for food, but we offer thanks to the animal as it gives its body to us and its spirit goes on to a better life," Pearl explained.

One day, Wildwing and the others discovered a doe in the woods, but they did not shot it as the doe had a fawn. "Keep looking for a buck, they're much better than does," Pearl said to them.

The Ducks were quiet as a mouse, even Nosedive didn't utter a peep, and they discovered a buck with antlers. Wildwing pulled out an arrow, placed it on his bow, took aim, and fired.

"Direct hit!" Nosedive said in excitement, but it was barely above a whisper. The buck collapsed to the ground, the arrow had been hit in the chest, and was slowing dying.

"Hurry, end its suffering," Pearl said to Wildwing. The drake came to the buck's side and took out a knife.

"Brother, I thank you for offering us your body. Your spirit will go to the afterlife, but your body will stay, so its strength will become part of the people," he explained and did a quick strike at the buck's heart, ending its suffering.

The Ducks then tied the buck's legs to a pole and Grin and Canard hoisted it up on their shoulders. Pearl then stood in front of them with a smile on her face.

"All of you have passed," she said, but they were confused, "You are ready to choose a companion," she added and their faces lightened up.

()()()()()()()()()()

The next day, Owain, Pearl, with their horses, and Subria lead the Ducks to a meadow far from the castle. A tall, rocky mountain was close by and the Ducks admired the view of this place.

"That mountain reminds me of home for some reason," Mallory said to her comrades.

"Me too," Tanya replied.

"Ducks, look," Pearl whispered, pointing to the meadow. There was a herd of horses that ran around free of any danger as they had no masters.

Owain looked at the Ducks, eying them, and they straightened their backs, suspecting that he wanted to be impressed. He then looked at Wildwing.

"Sir Wildwing will go first," he ordered, but Pearl didn't like the sound of it. "No weapons will be needed," Owain added, taking Wildwing's bow and arrows.

The drake went on all fours, crawling towards the herd, but hid behind a boulder, with Pearl beside him.

"Wildwing, listen carefully," she said to him, "You have one chance of choosing a companion, but he must choose you. You will feel it inside," she pointed to Wildwing's chest, referring to his heart.

"Question: how will I know if he chooses me?" he asked.

"He will put up a fight and try to kill you," Pearl answered and Wildwing felt a burning sensation in his stomach.

"Wonderful," he said, sarcastically and pulled out a rope that he would use as a lasso.

He then stepped out, showing himself to the herd, and some of the horses whinnied, while some ran away. Owain and the other Ducks watched as Wildwing looked at each horse, but none of them wanted to be his companion.

Just then, a palomino stallion, gold as the sun, ran up to the drake and stomped on his hooves. Wildwing stared at him in the eye and tested him by flailing his arms around and shouted at the horse, but the stallion neighed back, he wanted to be Wildwing's companion.

"Here goes nothing," the drake said and looped the rope around in the air, making it into a lasso.

The stallion jumped forward, but Wildwing got the rope around his neck and jumped on the horse. The stallion jumped, kicked, and bucked, trying his best to get Wildwing off of him.

"Stay on him! Break him in!" Pearl shouted at the drake. Wildwing held onto the stallion's mane and kept himself balanced on the horse's back.

Finally, after a few seconds, the stallion stopped bucking and had his head down. Wildwing patted the horse's neck and removed the lasso.

Pearl rushed up to him and says, "The first ride seals the bond, go, ride!"

Wildwing held on the stallion's mane and gave a kick and the horse went flying. The leader had never ridden a horse before and it was very difficult to stay on.

However, Wildwing was able to straighten himself out, and the stallion gave a smooth ride. After a few minutes, the bond had been sealed between Wildwing and the stallion.

One by one, the Ducks succeeded in choosing their companions and sealing the bonds between them and their horses.

Owain, on the other hand, was not at all pleased with Wildwing as the drake chose a beautiful stallion and having the princess support him the entire time.

The Ducks brought their horses back and they were given horseshoes, bridles, and saddles. They were also given their own swords, excluding Duke, and they looked ready for any battle.

()()()()()()()()()()

Elsewhere, in a dark cave, Howel and his minions had been hiding and planning for the ultimate battle against the Ducks and Avalon. Howel needed an army and the only one he knew was his brother, Louran's army of the living dead.

"I will not release my brother until the right time comes," Howel said to himself.

"When will be the right time?" Morholt asked. The poor minion had a black eye that was turning yellow due to Howel's outburst after he failed to obtain Pearl and the Book of Avalon.

"When I feel it has come," Howel replied in a cool voice, yet he knew it would be soon.

()()()()()()()()()()()

The next morning, the Ducks, with Pearl were riding on their horses around the open green country. Apart from Wildwing's palomino stallion, Nosedive retrieved a gray-coated stallion, Mallory with a dark bay mare, Duke with a black stallion, Canard with a chestnut stallion, Tanya with a strawberry roan mare, and Grin with a black and white Clydesdale stallion.

The Ducks had mastered horsemanship and it showed.

On this day, the group was riding around, strengthening the bond between rider and steed. Wildwing and Pearl, with their horses left the others to check something out.

They were out in a meadow, when they saw a dark shape rushing toward them. "RUN!" Pearl shouted and kicked Clarine into a gallop, with Wildwing following behind.

The shape turned out to be a dun horse and it had fire in its eyes. It chased after the two, neighing loudly and snapping its teeth at the two riders.

The two riders stopped when they saw a rocky hill. The horse was coming right at them and Pearl pulled out her bow and arrow and pointed at the wild horse.

It stopped in front of the princess as it saw the arrow and it knew what it was. It stomped its hoof and snorted and then turned around and ran off.

"Whoa, what was that?" Wildwing asked, calming his horse down.

"That would be the wild stallion, he is the toughest to tame as he refuses to be a companion to any rider," Pearl answered and continues, "Legend has it that his great-grandfather was King Arthur's companion."

"No way," Wildwing replied and Pearl nods. The two of them returned to the group and they went back to the castle.

Throughout the evening, Wildwing had been thinking of the wild stallion. The horse had fire, not just in his eyes, but in his soul. For a moment, the drake thought he heard the horse's loud neighs echo throughout Avalon's countryside.

* * *

**From the author: Okay, there are several references to other movies. The espírito neno scene is from the 'Princess Mononoke' scene with the kodoma. The Ducks' training and choosing of a horse is from 'Avatar'. The wild stallion is from 'Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'.  
**


End file.
